Angel Of Mercy
by Mauryn
Summary: Maurice secretly takes care of an injured human woman, and a strong friendship develops. Will his friend be revealed to the Ape Colony, and what will happen then? May turn in to a romance later on. Set sometime in the years between Rise and Dawn. Maurice, OC, Caesar, Koba.
1. Chapter 1

Maurice did not know if he were just getting old or if the winters were really getting harder each year. What he did know, however, was that without the mysterious packages of dried foods in the harsh wintertime, Apes like him might have died out years ago.

But where did these gifts come from? Maybe more importantly, who was sending them? Why were they so secretive about it?

At first, many Apes were against using the contents of the packages. Some feared the food was poisoned. Caesar had been about to test some of the food himself, but Maurice had grabbed it from his Leaders' hands and ate it without hesitation. Caesar had been furious, but it had turned out well in the end.

This was how Maurice fell into the habit of collecting the first packages of the season, and testing the first piece. And this was how he now found himself waiting, hidden in the trees on a cold winter's night.

Some Apes, Koba being the most vocal among them, still had their doubts. Maurice was determined to prove them, to prove Koba, wrong, once and for all.

So he waited ... and waited ... and waited some more. Just as he was about to give up, a tiny pinprick of light bobbed towards him through the forest. The old Orangutan sat still, barely even breathing, as the figure came closer. It stopped just beneath the tree where Maurice waited. It was carrying a familiar-looking cloth-wrapped bundle in its arms. It was clad in dark fur, a hood obscuring its features. It stood still for a moment, turning its head this way and that, observing its surroundings.

Then, as the figure bent down, its hood fell away from its face. Maurice suppressed a gasp.

The figure was a human!

The big Orangutan almost held his breath as he watched the human carefully conceal the wrapped bundle underneath the tree. When its stood up again, its furs slid back, and Maurice could see it was a human female.

A _human_ , living so close to the Ape colony! Maurice groaned inwardly, imagining the Apes' reactions when they knew. Especially Koba. He would be infuriated to know there was a human nearby. It wouldn't matter that she had never caused them one bit of harm. It wouldn't matter that she had been helping them with her gifts. Koba would want her driven out ... or dead!

Caesar would never permit that, of course. He would never condone her killing. So why was this thought of her dying now lodged in Maurice's head so firmly.

The human female seemed to sense Maurice's sudden anxiety. She stiffened, looking about her with a troubled expression.

"Hello," she croaked. Her voice sounded stiff, maybe from disuse. "Is … is someone there?"

"Thank you."

The words slipped from the old Orangutan's mouth before he could stop them.

The effect on the human was startling. She tensed and gasped. With one more desperate frightened look that tore at Maurice's heart, the female turned on her heels and bolted for cover.

Maurice was mentally kicking himself even before the human ran away in terror. What had possessed him to try and speak out loud to this human female, anyway? It was not as if he, or most of the Apes, ever spoke out loud much, not even to one another. So, why had he done it?

And, was his voice really so terrifying? He had soothing many a frightened youngling and female with his voice many times. But, well, this one was a human after all, and human females seemed far more delicate than Ape females.

As Maurice silently descended the tree, he could not help but notice that the female was not making as quiet an exit as she had made her entrance. And then, the sounds of her retreat stopped. There was a single cry, a small thud, and then nothing at all.

Maurice froze in the act of gathering up the female's gifts. What had happened? He waiter for what felt like an eternity, but still nothing.

Finally, not being able to stand not knowing, Maurice began to make his way towards the direction where the last sounds of the human had come. And it did not take him long to find her. She lay sprawled on her back beneath one of the largest trees. A large limb lay on her chest. And Maurice could smell the faint scent of blood.

Cautiously, he approached, but she did not stir at all. Was she already dead?

 _It's my fault, the old Orangutan scolded himself even as he moved to examine her more closely. No, please don't be dead. I did not want you dead! It's all my fault!_

 _Maurice groaned in mixed sympathy and terrible guilt. Knowing that he cannot just leave her there, helpless against any passing predator, he approached_

 _the prone human female slowly. The way his luck was going, if he were not careful, he might just give the poor thing a heart attack. Could humans actually_

 _die of fright?_

 _Maurice was relieved to see that she was not dead, but there was blood coming from her head. Not a lot, but still far too much for the apes' peace of mind. Sitting down beside her, he tried touching her face, rubbing her hands and arms, but nothing would wake her. Even after he gathered some leaves and pressed them to the wound on her head to try and stop the blood, she did not stir. She never even whimpered._

 _His first instinct was to take her home, his home. He immediately discarded that idea, however. Just imagining Koba's reaction was enough to make him think twice._

 _He kept on trying to wake her up, but with no luck. So, feeling that he absolutely cannot just leave her helpless, he very carefully picked her up, and began to_

 _try and back track her movements to find her own home. If he could find it, he'd get her settled down, then decide what to do from there._

* * *

 _A/N:_

This is for all of us who just can't get enough of our favorite Orangutan. More coming soon.


	2. Chapter 2

_I really need to take more tracking lessons from Koba and the hunters,_ Maurice thought as he picked his way through the forest. He had never felt lost here before, but the old orangutan feared if he had to go much farther that feeling would be coming over him and soon.

It took _forever!_

Even for the extraordinarily patient Maurice, it felt like forever and a day before he finally found the human female's home. At least, he hoped it was her home, and that he was not just about to burst in on a bunch of strange and frightened or hostile humans, holding this unconscious female in his arms. He knew how he and the Apes would react were the situation reversed and it was one of their females being carried in injured by a total stranger.

The last time one of their young females was carried in to camp because she nearly drowned, her Father, Koba, had to almost be physically restrained. And Koba was usually uncharacteristically patient with Blue Eyes, who was certainly not a total stranger. But, no one except maybe Blue Eyes' Father, Caesar, ever got in Koba's way where little Mary was concerned.

Suppressing a chuckle at that memory, the Ape gently laid the human down in the softest patch of grass he could find. Then, he slowly approached the door. Raising a hand, he lightly tapped on it, and waited. He stood still, his head cocked, listening. No signs of life inside. But the woman's scent was strongest here. This had to be the right place.

Returning to the human, he lifted her up again in his arms. She was breathing very slowly and evenly but Maurice was still very concerned. Forcing down his fears about why she still did not whimper or stir in his arms at all, Maurice carried her slowly in to the small house. It was obviously rundown and very shabby, but clean and well organized for all that. Maurice liked its look immediately.

Heading towards the back of the house, he found a room with a bed that had obviously been recently used. The human's scent was strongest here, and he was now certain this was her bed.

Letting out a quiet huff of relief, he Placed her down on it. He paused then to both catch his breath and observe her for a moment. The blood had nearly stopped running from the cut on her head, and this was good. She did not wake up, however, and this might be bad, very bad. Maurice remembered human circus performers who fell and hit their heads, and a few were taken away never to be seen again. Even an Ape could get such an injury if he were hit hard enough.

Reluctantly leaving her to search through the house, he found several containers of water, and other basic supplies. But even after bathing her head, and pressing cold cloths to it, the only other signs of life he could see was that she blinked when too much water ran in to her eyes.

 _I suppose that is something,_ Maurice thought. It was very cold comfort, though. Right now, he would be happy if she even woke up and started screaming at him.

Tentatively, he began picking various bits of twig and other things from the forest out of her hair, being especially careful around her wound. He smoothed back her thick black hair with his fingers, Still, the woman did not stir.

He waited as long as he could, but the night was moving on. If he were late getting back in, there would be tons of questions. Caesar would already have questions that the Orangutan did not yet know how he would answer without revealing the woman's presence.

Finding more blankets and sheets in a small closet, he tucked the girl in, making the best most comfortable nest for her he could. Standing and looking down on her,

he heaved a forlorn sigh.

 _It was so wrong to leave her alone and unprotected like this, but what else could he do?_

 _Please please don't be dead when I come back,_ he willed her silently, one hand stroking the top of her head with infinite gentleness. Then, forcing himself to turn away, the Orangutan trudged out of the humans' house, and made his way as fast and quietly as he could back to his own home.

* * *

 _A/N:_

Many thanks to both weezy815 and Pokie4Life for there wonderful PMs and inspirations, even if they didn't know they were being inspirational. :) Please check out there stories on this site.

And, thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited and/or followed this story. Keep the reviews/PMs coming folks. Feedback is always welcome.

More coming soon, tonight, internet willing.


	3. Chapter 3

Karin was having the strangest dream of her entire life. She dreamed she had gone to the tree where she always left her package of dried foods for the Apes. But something waited there for her this time. And it spoke to her.

She did not ask who or why or what it wanted of her. She simply ran.

And that's when the dream really got strange.

She dreamed she was hit over the head. She lay on the cold forest floor while someone or something was fussing around her. It tried to wake her up, but her mind refused to give up the peace of unconsciousness. If she was going to finally die here, she was determined to die peacefully in her sleep. It was a better death than anyone in her family had been allowed.

Then, she was floating, cradled in the warmest most snug blanket she had ever felt. Her own magic carpet. It was a wonderful ride. For the first time since her world more or less came to an end after the Simian Flu, Karin felt completely safe and secure.

The carpet would not let her fall, she knew this somehow.

It was almost a shock to be returned to her own bed. But someone or something was still with her, still trying to bring her back to consciousness. Karin was a stubborn woman, though. She refused to wake up and face who or whatever this was.

 _If you're gonna kill me … or something worse, please just do it now and leave me in peace,_ she thought.

Eventually, he, she or it went away. The pain in her head was also easing thanks to some cold water compresses applied, she assumed, by her supposed caretaker.

Then, Karin woke up with a start. She might have fallen out of her bed except that she was very nicely tucked in, and the old ragged blankets kept her from hitting the cold hard wood floor with her face.

 _I wasn't dreaming,_ she told herself. _Something happened in the forest, and something carried me back here? But who?_

She was dizzy. It was much easier just to lie in her bed and not try and unwrap herself from her warm cocoon. But as her mind cleared, her fear started to grow. Who or what brought her here? It now knew where her home was, and she was truly all alone, no family or friends left alive to be with her.

The last humans she had seen had been a violent Marauder, and she had had to kill him to save herself. It was the first time she had killed anyone in her life, and the fact it was self-defense did nothing to ease her mind about it.

 _It was an Ape!_

That thought would not leave her head, that an Ape might have been the one who carried her to her home.

Karin had only ever met one Ape in her life, and she had barely survived that meeting in the Forest. Was it this Ape who brought her home?

No, she could not wrap her head around the fact that this particular Ape might have been so merciful, let alone gentle.

Not being able to stand lying still for another moment, Karin began untangling her cocoon of blankets. She was still dizzy, however, and did end up falling out of her low bed onto the floor. She lay there for a long moment, her head throbbing again, and tried to catch her breath. Once her vision began to clear, she saw something.

Stretching out one hand, the woman carefully plucked a few hairs from the floor next to her bed. They were very long reddish hairs. At least she thought they were red. Karin was a bit color blind, and the room was dark.

Her mind screamed at her again, _ape! But, another part of her mind was trying to tell her that the hairs were all wrong, the wrong color and the wrong length to belong to her former tormenter._

Not taking any chances, and feeling like a coward, the woman squeezed herself in to the narrow space beneath her bed. From a corner, she retrieved a long sharp knife. Then, she lay there, trembling, and waiting for it to come back. If it was that Ape, she was not going to let him play with her again. She would probably die in the process, but the woman was determined to leave her mark on him before she went.

* * *

 _A/N:_

Again, big hugs and thanks to all my readers, particularly those who have followed and/or favorited the story. A special thanks to weezy815 who finally helped me settle on a name for the woman in this story, 100 points to anyone who guesses why she is named Karin. :)

More coming soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Maurice's day did not go well.

He had arrived home just before dawn. Just in time to get very little sleep. Then, he had overslept and missed breakfast, something that had never happened before.

He even had to be awakened by a very concerned Cornelia, who had been alerted by the little ones that Maurice was not there to start his usual classes.

Usually, it was his youngest students who suffered from distractions and problems paying attention. Not today, though. Eventually, pleading exhaustion, Maurice had called one of the bright young females, Koba's daughter Mary, and had her take over the class for him.

Mary was elated that he trusted her so much with such responsibility. But the old Orangutan could not completely appreciate her enthusiasm. He went back to his home and slept some more.

After the evening meal, Caesar took Maurice aside for a private talk.

'Old friend, are you sick?" Caesar asked, concern written plain in his face and his body language.

Inwardly, Maurice winced. Only one day in to his little venture and he was already, what was a good human phrase, blowing it. He would have to do much better than that in the immediate future.

"I'm fine Caesar, really," Maurice protested. "I just didn't sleep well last night."

"Bad memories?" Caesar asked. Maurice had never seemed to be tormented by bad memories from his life with the humans, not like so many other Apes.

"Some," was all Maurice said. "Don't worry about me, Caesar. I'm fine."

Maurice watched his Leader, his Savior, his friend for a long time. That was not entirely a lie, was it?

"You never talk about your circus life," Caesar said.

"And you almost never talk about your human family life," Maurice countered.

He was relieved to see his Leader grin.

"True," Caesar replied.

""I just figure that no one here would understand. And I do talk about my human family, with Cornelia. She understands."

Caesar's wife also came from a loving human family before she wound up in the awful Ape Sanctuary then at Gen-sys.

"Cornelia is a strong and kind female," Maurice was genuinely fond, as was everyone, of Caesar's beautiful wife.

Maurice cooed fondly as he saw his Leader's whole being soften when the talked about Cornelia.

"Alright, but just in case. I am going to try a piece of that new food you brought back with you tonight." Caesar's mind was made up.

 _Oh no, now he also thinks the food is poisoned! What have I gotten myself in to,_ Maurice fretted. _By trying to help this poor female, am I really just putting her in more danger than ever?_

As the Apes all retired for the evening, Maurice sat and waited. He was wide awake now.

He would be going out to check on her again tonight.

* * *

Karin slept most of the day. Unfortunately, she slept curled up underneath her own bed. Crawling out from that position was painful. Her joints popped and cracked, and she groaned out loud as she bumped her head once again.

She swore as the blood ran in to her eyes. Sitting up straighter, she managed to drink a little water before the nausea threatened the little she had swallowed.

With an effort, she managed not to throw up the water. Hauling herself up, she lay back on her bed, still swearing at herself. She had not been this clumsy since she was a teenager, and that was literally a lifetime ago.

Closing her eyes tight, Karin slept a bit more, and when she awoke, it was now truly dark. At least her headache had subsided a little bit. Now it was only excruciating, not blinding.

Sitting up very slowly, Karin got out of her bed. She stood still for a moment to see how badly the ground moved beneath her. It was only a very mild wave. Leaning heavily on her walls, she staggered out of her bedroom in to the living room beyond, then to her small kitchen. She had just started to munch on some dried meat and fruit when there was a tap on her door.

The woman froze in mid-chew. Someone or something wanted in to her house?

 _The Apes! They've come for me!_

Taking another sharp knife from her kitchen, Karin started for the door. One of her crazy paranoid survivalist Father's favorite sayings echoed in her head. "If you can't put 'em away, then you go down fighting, baby girl. You make 'em remember you forever!"

 _She hushed the old man's voice in her head. It had been bad enough having to listen to his ravings while he was alive._

 _Least you'll get to see Lisa again soon, Karin tried to comfort herself. But even the thought that she would soon be reunited with her long dead little girl was very little comfort._

 _She held the knife over her head. Reaching her front door, Karin grasped the handle and ripped it open, ready to strike.  
_

* * *

 _A/N:_

If you're still reading this far in, thanks. I promise there is more to come soon.

Assassinfaith01 guessed why my human OC is named Karin, and also gave me another interesting tidbit about the name. I love that!

Hope everyone is having a good night.

More to come soon!


	5. Chapter 5

Koba sometime said that Maurice thought too much.

The Orangutan normally ignored that comment, but maybe Koba had a small point. While waiting until he could safely get away from the village, Maurice sat deep in thought. This usually comforted him a great deal. But, now it made him feel a lot more uneasy. Less than one day in to his trying to care for the human female, and already Caesar thought her food gifts might be tainted. And even Cornelia was now looking at him worriedly, too. Also, Koba's young Mary was treating him like a doddering old Ape whom might need her help at any moment.

How had things gotten so out of hand so quickly? But, it was some small comfort that Koba did not seem to be acting any different around him. The volatile Ape did not seem to be suspicious or even to care much what he did. And, sadly,

Maurice knew it was Koba who could cause the most trouble for the recovering human female. For her and for Caesar.

But as much as this concerned him, Maurice could not let it stop him. Later that night, there he was again, standing at the woman's house. Knowing his exact destination this time, and being able to travel freely through the trees without having to carry the injured human, he made the trip much faster than before.

Tapping on the woman's front door, Maurice was overjoyed. He could hear sounds of movement coming from inside the house. So, she was finally awake and moving around on her own!

 _But, should she be up and moving around so soon_ , he wondered. But at least she was able to move at all.

The old Orangutan made soft happy rumbling noises almost to himself as he waited while the sounds drew closer and closer. Maybe, very soon, he'd be able to communicate with her. It would be nice to at least know her name.

Then, the door was violently hauled open. Dim light spilled from inside the house, and Maurice took an instinctive couple of steps back.

There she stood framed in her doorway, her faced flushed, her clothing even more rumpled and more ragged then he remembered, her tangled black hair blowing in the wind, one small drop of blood sliding down her forehead, and a knife gripped in her hand and raised high over her head.

Their eyes locked. Maurice watched in fascination as her eyes slowly widened and the conflicting emotions played over her haggard face.

 _She was expecting someone else. She was expecting trouble_ , was his first thought.

And, she confirmed this a few seconds later

"You're … not … him?," were her first hesitant words ever to Maurice. "You are not him!"

Maurice nodded to her in agreement. She still had the knife, so Maurice hoped that by not being this obviously unwelcome _him that that was a good thing._

"Are … are you … alone," the female asked. Her jerky hesitant speech reminded Maurice of many Apes who were still struggling to talk.

He nodded once again, then stepped aside so she could see past him in to the night.

He watched as the female scanned her little clearing, another one of those small lights in the hand that was not holding the knife. Something about the site of that device troubled him, but he could not put his finger on why just yet.

He saw that she was focusing more and more on the trees, and he could easily guessed what was troubling her.

Maurice also looked at the trees, then back at the frightened female. Slowly, he shook his head at her.

Maurice watched as the color slowly faded from her face, and with it all the ferocity and strength seem to seep out of her as well. He was desperately trying to think of anything he could do to make her feel more at ease as she began to tremble.

He watched helplessly as she lowered the knife to her side, and locked eyes with him yet again.

As terrified as she was, she was still determined to look him in the eye. The old Orangutan was very impressed by this, and even more intrigued by this human.

"What … what do you want?" she asked in a small voice. Shoving her tiny light in to her clothing, she clutched her door frame for support, and Maurice had to resist the desire to reach out and physically help her.

"Do you … do you even understand me?"

Maurice nodded yet again.

* * *

 _I should've just stayed in bed_ , was Karin's first thought as she stared in to the green eyes of her visitor.

A part of Karin wondered if this was not some kind of weird concussion dream? She was not really leaning in the doorway of her home just past the edge of night staring at an intelligent Ape, was she?

But even as her head throbbed yet again, the vision did not shift or fade away.

The Ape slowly raised his, hers, its hands, and began to move its fingers.

"Wait."

Karin held up one hand, and the Ape stopped moving its fingers.

"Is that sign language?"

Again, the Ape nodded at her.

She sighed heavily. _Great, I find an Ape who seems to want to talk, and I won't be able to understand a word he says … signs! Just your luck, ain't it, Karin old girl!_

"I … I don't know sign," she said simply.

If she did not know better, Karin would swear that the Ape looked crestfallen. It was how she felt, too.

"but … but you do understand my speech, some anyway, right?" Karin added hopefully. She did not want to leave him looking that way. She decided for now to think of it as him because it just seemed more polite. Plus, there was definitely a male air about him.

The Ape nodded, but more slowly.

"You don't understand?" Karin asked. It was going to be a long night if they had to keep playing twenty questions.

The Ape shook his head.

"Uh, you understand, some?"

It was her turn to look hopeful.

The Ape nodded vigorously

"Okay, you understand some. That's, uh, good … I guess."

Karin smiled at him. It was a little shaky around the edges, but she was sincere.

And was he smiling back … or just baring his teeth at her? Since he was making no other threatening gestures, she chose to take it as a smile. _Please dear God let it be a smile, she thought._

"Uh, I'm Karin," she said slowly.

Leaning heavily on her doorway, she lifted one hand and pointed to herself.

"Karin," she repeated. "I am Karin."

"Now, I bet you have a name, too," she went on determinedly. "But ow are you going to tell me what it is, though?"

"Maurice."

It was the lowest softest of a rumble she had ever heard, but was it also …

Feeling very faint, Karin took a slow deep calming breath.

"Did … did you just say—" she began faintly.

"Maurice," the Ape repeated, pointing at himself the way she had just done.

Karin was even more visibly trembling now, her world threatening to go tilt on her any moment.

"Okay, Maurice," Karin murmured. "It's real nice to meet you and all that, but I'm going to, uh, to have to sit down now."

Karin heard herself speaking. But her voice sounded very far away to her own ears as she managed a barely controlled slide down to her doorstep.

As she struggled not to lose both consciousness and her partial supper, she was aware that Maurice had come closer, and was now patting her back very gently.

"I'm … I'm okay," she gasped. But, seeing as how her voice was coming from the vicinity of her knees, and shook like that of a woman many times older, no surprise the Ape did not seem convinced.

Karin slowly lifted her head, and he really was right there, one long arm extended over her shoulder, marvelous green eyes looking at her with deep concern. She reached out very slowly, and touched his arm, feeling the long thick hair beneath her fingers.

"Magic carpet," she murmured with a little laugh.

Maurice rumbled and looked confused.

"It's okay," Karin said. "Sometimes, I don't understand me, either."

Karin tried to stand up, but her legs were still made of soft rubber. The arm Maurice had been using to pat her back quickly moved to encircle her waist.

"I don't need—" she began.

Maurice made another deep rumbling noise. It almost sounded to Karin as if he were saying, "Are you going to start that nonsense again?"

"Okay, I give up," she surrendered. "If you can maybe just help me over there?"

She pointed weakly back in to the house, and let Maurice half-lift her to her feet.

He settled her on her old ragged couch, putting a pillow firmly but gently behind her head. She thought about protesting that the wound was in the front of her head not the back, but decided to keep her mouth shut.

Karin stared at this marvelous and gentle ape with something close to awe. Then, he amazed her all over again by going through in to her small kitchen and bringing out the remains of her interrupted meal and putting it on a low table before her.

"Thank you," she murmured.

She was so touched by him that a few tears slid down her cheeks. Then, it was Maurice's turn to reach out and gently touch her face. He patted her cheek with those long fingers, which only threatened to make her cry even more.

Seeming to sense the oncoming flood, Maurice picked up her cup of water and held it out to her.

Taking the offered cup, she smiled at him again, and swallowed down her tears.

"I get it. Eat now and cry later," she said. "Very wise advice."

She ate and drank, offering him some of the dried fruit and her water. He sat on the floor before her and ate what she offered him. And so they passed their first meal together in very nice companionable silence. It was the first meal she had shared with another living being in a long time.

Maurice stayed with her most of that night. Not letting her get up from the couch, he put her dishes back in her kitchen. Then, they began the task of furthering communications. Karin almost laughed out loud in delight when she had handed Maurice a pad of worn but still very usable paper and some pencils, and the Ape made a half-hooting half-purring rumbling sound that even Karin could understand. He was also delighted.

With a combination of writing, some sign and some speech, they began to tell one another about their lives. Not that she had a whole lot to tell, but his story was so fascinating!

And, they nearly lost all track of time.

It was very late, or early depending on how you looked at it, when he left her.

Maurice tried to reassure her that he'd be fine, but as she watched him go from one of her windows, Karin heaved a sigh. He had not said it out right, but she knew he was taking some chances coming to help her. She knew, from painful experiences and from physical scars Maurice had not seen yet, what would happen to her if the other Apes found out.

Once the darling Orangutan had disappeared from her site in the trees, Karin slowly went to her bed, worrying. She was afraid for herself, of course, But for the first time in years, the first time since she'd lost her little Lisa, she was also afraid for another living being.

What would the Apes do to Maurice if their meetings were discovered?

* * *

Maurice was just settling down for his morning nap in his nest. Karin … he repeated the woman's name over and over in his head. He liked the sound of it for some reason. It was simple enough that even he could pronounce it, well almost, but it had something about it that was very complex, too. The old Orangutan started to drift in to sleep.

And, then, he jerked violently awake.

 _Her little light stick!_

Maurice sat bolt upright in his nest bed, trying to remember. She had one with her when she left her gifts at the tree. But had he seen it when he carried her home? Had he seen one after, anywhere? The one she had brandished tonight could be the same one, but what if it was not? What if that little light stick was still lying out there by the Gifting Tree, just waiting for an Ape to find it … an ape like Koba, perhaps!

 _Well, I'm up for the morning_ , Maurice told himself. He rose from his nest, and tried to smooth down his rumpled hair. It would be so nice to have a female around to help with these little grooming tasks. He decided to go look in and see just how young Mary was getting along with his class. Maybe that would take his mind off of things. But he knew part of his mind was still going to be on his new friend, Karin, no matter what he did.

* * *

 _A/N:_

Sorry for the long wait, folks. RL and internet conspiring to keep me from posting, I'm afraid. I hope everyone likes this chapter. And do stay tuned for much more.


	6. Chapter 6

"What have you got there, Daughter?"

Koba came in to their home without making a sound. His daughter nearly jumped a mile at the sound of his voice.

"It's not nice to sneak up on people," she complained. "You made me poke myself. And, it's just a stick, Papa," she hurried on, holding up the almost perfectly rounded piece of wood.

Koba frowned down at his adopted child. It was not like Mary to lie to him. For what he was almost certain he had seen in her hands was not made of wood. It bore the faint metallic gleam of a human-made object.

For a second, the fierce anger, always so close to the surface, welled up in him. Any child of his ought to know not to bring any human objects in to his home. But still gazing down at the slight form of his daughter, he squashed it. It was usually quite easy for him to control his temper when looking at his little darling. Mary was still so very slight and small and fragile-looking for her age. But while she did not look as robust as the other Ape girls in the Colony, Koba knew she dwarfed them all in her sheer intelligence. And he was proud of her for that.

He knelt directly in front of her, and gently drew her forehead to his own.

"Not nice to lie either," he told her firmly. "But too tired to argue with you tonight, Mary."

"Was it a good hunt, Papa," Mary asked as her Father released her and went to settle in to his bed.

He yawned as his daughter came over and idly picked a few leaves out of his fur.

"Very good," he told her. "But hard. Why weren't you there to watch our return?"

"I was working on something for class tomorrow, Papa," Mary said. "I lost track of time. Uncle Maurice likes how I am handling the little ones in his class. Uncle says I might be Teacher for the village someday

"Maurice is very proud of you. Told me so himself," Koba said, trying not to sound too boastful. "And, you will be more than just Teacher someday, Girl. You will lead all of our females."

Mary laughed her sweet light laugh.

"That's silly, Papa. Only the Leader's wife will lead the females. I don't want to be a Leader's wife. I want to teach."

"We'll talk about it later," Koba said through another yawn. "Now try and keep your lesson making down while you're poor old Papa sleeps, Daughter."

Koba smiled as Mary sat on the side of the bed and began to sing softly to him. There weren't many words involved, but he thought she had the sweetest voice of any Ape he had ever heard … not that he had ever heard any Ape sing before. Leave it up to his Mary to be different. He lay back, and let the soft sounds of her voice sooth him in to a deep sleep.

And, sometime while he slept, the third ear that never seemed to close for Koba not even in his sleep heard his Mary slip quietly from their home. But she was back almost immediately, her soft coming and goings not enough to wake him.

* * *

The Ape Leader awoke early the next morning. He felt no ill effects from the dried food he had eaten the night before. So, this was not the cause of Maurice's sudden sleep disorders.

Cornelia and Blue Eyes still slept soundly. Moving carefully so as not to wake her, Caesar slipped out of their bed and stepped in to the faint light of dawn. He was surprised to find Koba's young daughter, Mary, waiting outside his home.

"Good morning Mary," Caesar greeted the young Ape girl. "You're up and about early this morning. Is everything alright? Koba having a bad night again?"

Mary looked up then bowed her head respectfully to Caesar.

"Good morning, Uncle Caesar," she said in her quiet voice.

At his question about her Father, Mary shook her head. Caesar thought she looked unusually agitated, though.

"Papa still sleeps," she went on out loud. Mary never signed unless she had to, always preferring speech over the usual sign language. "I … I wanted to show Aunt Cornelia something."

Caesar came down and stood directly in front of the young Ape.

"Cornelia sleeps," Caesar told her. "Can you show it to me instead?"

Mary frowned, but offered Caesar her small hand. What was in it nearly made the Ape leader gasp in surprise, but he managed to stop himself.

"Where did you find this, little one," he asked very gently, taking the object from her hand.

"A couple of days ago. It was a little ways away from the Gifting Tree," Mary told him. "There was a little blood on it, I think. But the rain washed most of it away."

"It's a … a human thing, isn't it, Uncle," the girl almost whispered, half in awe, half in fright.

Caesar nodded gravely.

"It … it makes light," Mary went on, still speaking in a hushed voice. Caesar noticed how her eyes kept darting in the general direction of her home.

"Does Koba know about this?" Caesar asked.

'Oh, no!" Mary's eyes widened. "I … I didn't show it to him. Papa does not like human things not at all."

 _An understatement_ , Caesar thought. The girl was wise beyond her years.

He patted the girl's head affectionately.

"Thank you for telling me of this, Mary," he said softly. 'Now you run along and have some breakfast before classes start."

As Mary hurried off, Caesar made his way to the home of his oldest and dearest friend. But Maurice still slept soundly in his nest, and Caesar did not have the heart to wake him just to ask about a human flashlight.

But he was terribly worried about his friend now.

 _Oh, Maurice, just what have you gotten yourself in to, I wonder_ , Caesar mused to himself.

He left his friend there to get his much-needed rest.


	7. Chapter 7

_The blasted thing was stuck in yet another knot._

"Ouch!" the woman gave an involuntary cry as she tried to pull the tangle out of her hair.

Karin winced, and threw the hairbrush aside.

She felt dizzy again.

By trying to straighten up her house, and herself a bit, she had overdone it. So, now the poor woman lay stretched out on her worn sofa, a cool wet cloth across her forehead, and a scowl on her pinched and haggard face.

Besides the hair brush, on the old coffee table in front of her was a bowl with another cloth and some water, and what was left of an old battered book. It was one volume of an old set of encyclopedias several decades old, its cover half torn off, and pages sporadically missing or half moth-eaten throughout. She'd gone to all the trouble of unearthing the ragged thing that she had not seen since her childhood, and only succeeded in aggravating her headache and her dizziness yet again.

And, what she searched for was, naturally, mostly in those missing pages

 _Orangutans …_

Karin had hoped to do a little reading up on the species of her newfound friend, Maurice. She wanted to make him as comfortable in her home as she could for as long as he kept coming to visit her. And she did not want to start grilling him with questions no matter how curious she was about him and his people.

Also, Karin was not used to being waited on hand and foot by anyone, and had hoped to return at least a little of Maurice's favor.

But the book excavation was a disaster, and she had only made herself quite weak by hauling it up from her dark cellar. And all that work for nothing!

 _If I had the strength, I'd set fire to the blasted thing_ , Karin thought with annoyance. She made a mental note to get rid of all that junk down there as soon as she could. _But I don't even have the strength to brush my own hair._

It did not help that it had been ages since she had even bothered to try to do anything at all about her hair. After all, who but her was around to look at it. And Karin had almost stopped caring about much of anything at all. Except that she got the Apes those dried foods in the wintertime, and the small foods she put out for some flocks of birds that lived near her home, she believed she had no other reason to go on living.

But then, she did something stupid and hurt herself out in the forest. And he had come. Maurice, an Ape, had taken pity on her pathetic human form, and somehow found his way back to her home, carrying her all the way, and had then set about trying to take care of her as best he could. And he had come back the next night to do pretty much the same thing, take care of her. Not only that, but talk with her. There communications were still a sometime frustrating mixture of his sign language, her human speech, and both their body languages. He was picking up her languages much faster than she was with his, but they were getting by very well with one another.

And for the first time in years since she'd lost her little girl, Karin became interested, and curious, and though she dared not admit it even to herself yet, caring.

A smile slid across her face. Gingerly turning her head to one side, she glanced at her cluttered table, and then began to laugh a little. Here she was, getting all upset because she could not scrub her house and get her hair nice and neat because an Orangutan, an Ape, would be coming later. The absurdity of that thought made her laugh harder despite the pain in her head.

She laughed and laughed until tears flooded down her face. It occurred to her that if anyone were in earshot, her laughter might sound a little insane to them. But she did not care. There was no one in earshot, unless …

She looked at her old battered Time X watch, and sprang off the sofa to peer meekly from behind her blackout curtains. She thought it was almost time for her Orang visitor to make an appearance.

* * *

Those sounds were a little disturbing. Before Maurice could make his usual tapping gestures on her door, he heard the female making those sounds.

He stood stock still, listening intently. At first, he was sure she had been laughing, but then it got shriller, and by the time it subsided, Maurice was sure she was either crying or screaming or both. Either way, he knew he needed to get in there, fast.

 _If she was hurt … if someone Ape or human was in there hurting her!_

Maurice suppressed a snarl as he approached her door, his hair bristling, his whole body tensed for a fight and his fists raised. He would pound the thing down to reach her if he must. He would defend her no matter what or who was threatening her!

Going to the door, he reared up, ready to give it a mighty blow. But it was his turn to freeze now. It was Karin who opened the door, and there were tears coursing down her face.

He watched her take in his appearance, and saw the fear flicker across her face.

And, that did it. Without asking her permission his time, he slid a long arm around her waist and lifted her easily up.

"Maurice," he heard her gasp. "What … what's wrong?"

The old Orangutan did not answer. He simply carried her back in to her house, pausing only long enough to kick the door closed behind them.

He held on to her for another moment, his eyes roving around the living room.

"Karin, stay," he rumbled at her as he set her down on the couch. She opened her mouth, but he put a hand on the back of her neck and gave a low rumbling growl at her, and she closed it again.

Maurice searched her house thoroughly, but there was no sign of any other living beings or of any threats to the woman at all.

He came back in to her main living area where he had left her. She was now curled in a submissive position on her couch.

Gazing down at her, the poor old Orangutan felt awful. He knew he had terrified her. It had just occurred to him that while he was behaving as any normal decent male should when defending his female, especially an injured female, Karin might not see it that way. He had to remind himself that she was human, and not as familiar with Ape ways. He had to be far more delicate with her. He also sternly reminded himself that she was not his female in any way shape or form, and never could be.

He pushed that last totally ridiculous thought out of his mind and sat on the floor beside her.

"Karin?" he rumbled her name as softly as he could manage. "Karin?"

* * *

Karin heard Maurice making his way none to quietly through her rooms. Now that the initial shock had worn off, it was a toss up to whether she was more frightened or angry.

She stayed curled in her tight protective ball until he came back in the room.

She heard him say her name, twice, in that wonderfully soft rumbling voice of his. Normally, she loved hearing him say anything, especially her name. His voice was so deep she could almost feel it in her very bones each time he spoke.

This time, it just made her furious.

"Don't you Karin me?" she cried, springing out of her protective ball and coming to her knees on her couch. She twisted sideways to glare at him.

"Why the … What were you … What in the world?"

She was trembling with a mixture of rage and fear and bewilderment, so upset she could not complete a full spoken sentence.

"Sorry," came the low rumble from deep in the Orangutan's throat.

"Not even a Hi. You've got no right to just manhandle, I mean Ape handle me like that … … What—What did you say?" She stopped mid tirade, panting slightly

"Maurice … is … sorry," he said it again, speaking very slowly and carefully, his troubled eyes fixed on her flushed face. She thought she could almost feel the regret in their depths.

"Sorry," Karin exploded. "Well, if you think that fixes it, then you … well, you're just … You are just …"

She was softening towards him now, despite herself. She was running out of steam in the face of his total calmness, and his sad eyes

"You scared me half to death, Maurice," she complained more quietly. "The last time an Ape … I mean someone grabbed me like that, I thought he was gonna kill me … or something. Why did you do that?"

"And, please don't say Sorry again," she interrupted as he opened his mouth. "I believe that you're sorry. Just tell me why you busted in here like a bull in a China shop?"

He blinked.

"Never mind about a bull or a China shop," Karin exclaimed, half-laughing now. "For God's Sake, just tell me why you did that, okay?"

"Hurt," Maurice said simply.

She gaped at him in confusion.

"I thought Karin was hurt," he told her in his slow careful way.

"But why would you—"

She broke off, and made a disgusted sound.

"Oh man, you heard me, didn't you? Right before you came in, you heard me laughing and … and—"

"Not laughing," Maurice objected. "Crying. Karin sounded hurt."

"Oh, Maurice! I'm so sorry," she cried. "It was all my fault then. I just, um, I thought of something silly and I laughed too hard, that's all. It hurt my head."

 _Not totally a lie_ , Karin thought. _It did hurt my head_. That was not the entire reason, but she did not want to have to try and explain the intricacies to Maurice just now.

She looked passed him to her front door. Then her eyes focused again on the big Orang. He managed to look a little sheepish.

Karin reached out and patted his hand.

'You were really gonna try and break that down, weren't you?" she whispered in awe.

"No," Maurice objected. "Not try, would break it down … for Karin."

What little bit was left of Karin's fury melted away in a sudden rush of warmth for the big Ape.

"Oh," Karin swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. It never ever failed. He always did that to her at least once each visit.

ON an impulse, she reached out to put both arms around his neck to hug him, overbalanced, and fell off the low couch, landing squarely in his lap.

* * *

As the woman flung her arms out towards his neck, Maurice's eyes widened. Did she mean to try and strangle him? His offense had not been that great, had it?

But before he could decide what to do, she overreached and landed in a heap on his lap.

He gave a huff of surprise. But she was not trying to attack him.

"Well, that didn't work quite right," she scolded herself, laughing. At least, he was almost sure she was really laughing this time.

So, he laughed back.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. "Guess I'd make a terrible circus woman, huh." He had mentioned to her that was when he learned to sign, in his circus where he was born.

"Dead circus woman," he told her bluntly, helping her to sit up properly and letting her lean against him.

"Ouch, that's cold. Why'd you say that?" Karin objected, pouting a little.

"Karin falls down a lot," Maurice commented dryly. "Circus woman who falls down a lot dies."

"Guess I'd better stay away from circus's, then. But would you believe I used to be a dancer?" Karin asked him. "When I'm feeling better, I'll show you, sometime. Not that I'm very good at it anymore," she added quickly.

Once Karin caught her breath a little, he sat her back down on her couch. And insisted that she eat something.

Later, he asked her about the battered old book. She told him it had once been something that held a part of the sum of human knowledge. Then, she admitted to him that she had been trying to look up Orangutans in that book.

He had been surprised, and yes, more than a little flattered by that. He was almost as disappointed as she had been to find out that those pages were gone or mangled beyond recognition.

"What did Karin want to know?" he asked. When she had replied, "Everything," he had chuckled at that.

"Everything is a lot," he told her. "Even I don't know everything. So, how could your book know anything?"

"Well, it doesn't anymore," Karin said. "The moths and time have eaten it all away."

Saying this seemed to make her so sad. So, Maurice started telling her of funny things, like something one of the children had said or done. When he talked of the Ape children, she looked a little sad, but at the same time, hearing of them seemed to sooth something within her.

When it was time for him to leave her, he hesitated. They stood together at her closed front door, and he gently touched her shoulder.

"I am worried for you," he rumbled quietly.

"My head is getting better," she objected.

But he sighed.

"Not that." He reached out and laid his fingers against her forehead. The swelling did seem to be going away. But that was not what frightened him.

"I do not like leaving you alone," he admitted.

She flung her arms around him again, but did not fall down this time. He guessed this was what she had meant to do before. It was a nice gesture, and he returned it.

After a time, she drew away to look in to his face.

"I've lived alone here for a very long time, Maurice," she told him matter-of-factly. "I'm used to it by now."

"That is not right," he shot back.

"Well I'd love to have you stay around, Big Guy, but you can't," Karin said, trying to smile. "You got responsibilities at home. So, what choice do I have."

That was part of Maurice's deep frustrations. He had a home, one he could easily build on to, if more room was needed. He had a large extended family of all kinds of Apes, but he knew he could not invite her to be a part of any of that, not yet. Not because of Caesar's reactions, but because of some of the others. He would just be introducing her to even more dangers.

"You'd better get going," she sighed. "Go on, don't make this harder on both of us. Just … come bac, when you can."

So, she did not want him to leave either. Unless this was another Ape Human miscommunication. He hoped not.

"I will come back," he promised her, signing and speaking the words out loud. "Karin stay safe till I do."

"Yes Sir," she said crisply, pretending to give him a solute. "Orders received, Sir!"

He did not know exactly what that meant, but guessed she was trying to be funny.

They both laughed again. And she hugged him again.

And, sadly, he left her again, but he could not help looking back more and more. Once he could no longer see her sweet sad human face pressed against the glass of her window, Maurice headed home with a heavier heart than ever before.

* * *

\They were not totally alone, but neither the old Orangutan or the human woman knew it. Hidden in the trees near the well-sheltered human dwelling, a shadow lurked. It could not see a lot, but it could hear very well.

It saw Maurice enter the human dwelling. It heard the woman's voice … the human woman's voice, raised in agitation.

It even heard Maurice's low growl, and for a moment, it sensed the old Orangutan's sudden protective rage.

Thinking it was caught, and trembling in sudden dread, it drew well back. It did not want the old Orangutan to catch it, not yet.

What was he doing here in secret with this human female? Not training her in proper respectful human behavior towards apes, that was almost certain. No, Maurice was far too tender-hearted to teach these humans their proper place in the world.

But unless he planned to claim her and bring her back to the Ape village, and that did not seem likely, Maurice could not stay with the human female all the time. She would be alone and unguarded sooner or later. Then, she would learn her place.

The unseen Watcher knew that far too much leniency had been given to this human female because of her little child. But, there was no sign of the little female around her home now. Was it dead? It didn't matter, but if so, maybe that was for the better.

Not ready to act just yet, the shadow slipped silently back to the Ape village. No one seemed to notice..

* * *

 _a/n:_

 _These chapters just get longer and longer. Thanks to all my loyal and patient readers for hanging on here with me. Keep the PMs and/or reviews coming, folks. Just please no wwar spoilers._


	8. Chapter 8

Maurice saw young Mary cleaning up after that morning's class as he arrived. The poor child looked very harassed. Instantly, the Orangutan knew what must have happened. He had been through it before, many times.

"You're right," Mary told him. "They can be a handful."

"I did try and warn you," he advised gravely.

Maurice smiled indulgently at the young Ape girl and began to help her pick up scattered materials.

"The new has finally worn off for them, has it?" he teased her fondly.

"I guess so," Mary sighed.

When they had put the school area in order, Maurice put a comforting hand on Mary's shoulder.

"It happens to me, too. Probably more than you, I imagine. Don't take it too hard. You have good days and then you have bad ones," he mused philosophically.

Mary started to smile at him, but it faltered as she looked at the older Orangutan more closely.

"Are you having bad days then, Uncle," she murmured, her eyes troubled.

Gazing down at her, Maurice ruffled her fur.

"Now what would make you say that?" he signed, trying to phrase it as lightly as he could manage.

"I'm not blind, Uncle. You've just looked so … sad and far away sometimes," Mary told him. "Mostly when you don't think anyone is watching. What's making you so sad? Can I help?"

 _Precious_ child, Maurice thought.

He put his arms about the girl and hugged her close. She tolerated this for a minute, then squirmed out of his gentle grip.

Mary put her hands on her hips in a gesture that always reminded Maurice of some human women he used to see around the circus. It even reminded him a little of Karin when she was feeling her most ferocious. He watched as she fixed him with a stare that, while not nearly as cold or hard as her Father's, held more than a hint of Koba's steel in its depths.

"That's not an answer, Uncle," Koba's daughter said in that blunt way she had when the adults were ignoring her questions.

"Sometimes, little one, there are no easy answers," Maurice told her.

"Why not," she demanded. "It was a simple enough question, wasn't it? What's making you so sad?"

 _Mary the stubborn_ , Maurice mused.

"When you become an adult, little one, you'll understand that there are no easy answers and even fewer truly simple questions," Maurice advised the child.

She was not deterred.

"They're starting to talk about you, Uncle," Mary went on more earnestly, leaning in to him and dropping her voice. Mary, unlike most apes, almost always spoke out loud even when she signed.

"Who is talking about me, Mary," Maurice signed, concerned not so much about the talk but by how honestly upset Mary seemed by it.

"Most of the kids, and some of the older females, too. There saying—"

Maurice watched in amazement as, for the first time since she learned to communicate, Mary stopped talking out loud and signed her next words in total silence. Maurice knew that it must be serious.

"They're saying you've got a female somewhere that you visit every night. Is it true, Uncle? Why don't you just bring her to the village?"

Maurice was staggered by the child's statement. He stared down at Mary, honestly not knowing what to say to that at all.

"Now, don't badger him, Mary."

They both jumped.

Quietly, Cornelia had come up on the scene and Maurice was almost glad to see her … almost.

"I think your Father is looking for you, darling," Cornelia told the younger Ape female.

"No, he isn't," Mary started to protest. "Papa is out hunting now, and—"

She faltered a little under Cornelia's gaze.

"Oh, alright. But can I tell him just one more thing," Mary asked, speaking out loud again.

"Can we really stop you?" Cornelia signed, laughing.

Mary stepped close to Maurice. She stretched up at far as she could, but to help her, Maurice leaned down towards the child so she could whisper in his ear

"I found the flashlight," she whispered.

Not giving him or Cornelia time to react, the girl turned and ran towards her home … just in case her Father really was looking for her. Never a good idea to keep Papa waiting long.

"That child is really going to be something someday," Maurice mused.

"Yes, she is," Cornelia said thoughtfully. "I was wondering if you'd come with us and help us forage for our medicine plants, Maurice?" the Ape Queen asked.

Not an unusual request. Maurice and many of the mature Orangutans often accompanied the females on these foraging excursions. But something told Maurice that Cornelia had more on her mind, and she just wanted an excuse to get him out of the village to talk with him.

And, he was right. not long in to the foraging trip, Cornelia took Maurice with her slightly away from the others.

Once they were out of sight of the main party, Cornelia stopped and turned to him with a grave expression.

"Mary is right, Maurice," Cornelia signed. "Rumors have started going around."

Maurice started to protest, but Cornelia stop him with one raised hand.

"Maurice, you're an adult mature male, older than me and Caesar. You can come and go as you please, of course. It's not my place to tell you how to behave. But we are all worried, Caesar and me and everyone. If it's true, and you do have a female somewhere and I can do anything to help you or her, I hope you won't hesitate to come to me."

Cornelia extended one hand. Maurice offered his palm to her, but instead of swiping it in a gesture of her dominant female status, Cornelia dropped something in to the Orangutan's hand. It was so light that he almost missed it. Looking down, he saw a few very familiar black human hairs resting in his palm

 _She must have found them the morning she came to wake me up for_ classes, Maurice thought, feeling stricken.

His fingers curled protectively around the few hairs. He was rocked to his core for the second time that day. Slowly, he raised his eyes to meet Cornelia's gaze.

"That is the person who has been leaving us the winter food gifts, isn't it," Cornelia signed, her face mirroring her gentle concern.

Maurice nodded.

"It is a she, right? Is she ill or hurt?" Cornelia asked.

"She hit her head," Maurice explained. It was almost a relief to be able to tell someone. "but She's getting much better. But-"

Cornelia patted his hand.

"She is all alone, Cornelia,"

Maurice felt a wave of relief as he was finally able to say that out loud to someone else.

"I'm sure she is getting better, with you looking after her," Cornelia praised. "but, what? Completely alone, you mean?"

"Yes," the Orangutan signed, his whole body seeming to droop with worry. "Her only daughter is dead. Her family is either dead or scattered and out of reach. She is truly alone, and I fear for her."

Cornelia shuddered. Maurice could see that Cornelia understood his fears. He could also see the sympathy for a human woman she had never met plain in the Ape Queen's eyes.

"Oh, her poor child! That's horrible, to be all alone," Cornelia signed. "We have to do something … let me think about that for a bit."

"But, my offer still stands, Maurice," Cornelia went on more soberly. "If I can help your female—"

Maurice tensed, but Cornelia did not give him time to protest before she diverted herself.

"I mean, if I can help your new human friend," Cornelia amended her first statement. "I want to help. She gives to us so why shouldn't we help her."

"I think you should tell Caesar though, Maurice," Cornelia advised. "for his peace of mind, if nothing else. You know you're his closest friend. He is very worried about you."

"What's her name, your female … I mean, your friend?" Cornelia asked.

The Orangutan smiled.

"Karin," Maurice rumbled the name out loud.

Cornelia gave him a surprised look. Then, she grinned at him. There was another look, almost a knowing smile, on Cornelia's face that disturbed Maurice. But, before he could ask her to explain, she took them both back to foraging.

* * *

He was in a hurry to get back to Karin. But when the evening meal was over, Maurice thought he felt Caesar's eyes on him more than usual. So, once the meal was done, Maurice gave his friend a little time to himself but very little, before approaching him.

"Caesar, we need to talk," Maurice signed gravely.

To Maurice's surprise, or maybe not, Caesar seemed to have been expecting this. Had Cornelia already warned him? A part of Maurice wished she had just come out and told Caesar what she had learned, and he would not have to admit keeping secrets from his Leader and friend.

Maurice followed Caesar to one of the spots where the Ape Leader went to think alone, usually about serious matters. The view from the top of that particular tree was spectacular, but Maurice was in no mood to enjoy it tonight.

"You have something to tell me?" Caesar signed.

Taking a deep breath, Maurice raised his hands and just plunged right in.

"I did find out who has been leaving us the food in the wintertime. It's a human woman named Karin. She got hurt out in the forest, and I've been leaving the village at dusk to take care of her."

The Orangutan almost managed to sign all that in one sentence. When he finally stopped and looked in to Caesar's eyes. His Leader was almost grinning at him.

"Now that was not so hard to say was it?" Caesar teased. "But I do understand why you did not make it a public announcement. How badly is your female hurt?"

 _Oh no, not him, too!_

Maurice snorted again in protest. Why was everyone calling Karin _his_ female?

Caesar gave a gentle hoot of laughter.

"Your friend, how badly is she hurt?" he repeated his question, closely echoing his wife from a few hours earlier and seeming as amused by Maurice's reaction as Cornelia had been.

"She's recovering," Maurice signed.

"And her family?"

"She has no one else, Caesar. She had a little daughter who died sometime back. Her Father died not long after you freed us. The rest of her family are dead … or forever lost."

Maurice saw almost as much sympathy flicker across Caesar's face as he had seen on Cornelia's.

"It is bad, to be alone. Especially for a human female," the Ape Leader murmured out loud.

Wait here," Caesar commanded, and fled to his home. He was back a few moment later.

"Give this back to your, uh, your friend," he said, putting the tiny light in to Maurice's large hand. "She needs it more than we do."

"but Mary told me she found this," Maurice protested.

"She did, and she gave it to me. The child is not stupid enough to keep this in her own home. Can you imagine her Father's reaction?"

Maurice could imagine it very well. That was the problem.

"I need to talk more about this with Cornelia," Caesar told his friend. "But that can happen tomorrow. Now, aren't you late?"

Maurice blinked.

The Ape leader openly grinned this time.

"As the humans used to say, it's not nice to keep a lady waiting."


	9. Chapter 9

Something was different. Karin knew that from the minute she woke up that morning, but it was so unusual that took her a few moments to figure out what it was.

She felt good.

NO, not perfect. Her head still ached a little, and her forehead was turning several interesting shades of orange and yellow. But most of the pain was gone, replaced by a nagging itch that she was not totally successful at leaving alone. There were the usual minor aches and pains from her joints or from old injuries. But, overall, she felt good.

And that had not happened in a very long time.

She was also quite hungry. Normally, Karin waited until hunger almost overwhelmed her before dragging out some of those survival rations and mechanically stuffing them in to her mouth. But this time, she dragged herself out of bed and in to her kitchen and ate a real breakfast. Of some dried fruits and nuts and a little of the canned bacon.

 _Oh! Why did I try this stuff_ , she thought, grimacing in disgust? _Now what sick sadistic man ever thought about canning bacon?_

 _She gave up fast on the bacon, though. Not good_ , she thought, staring at the remainder of the canned food with disgust and a slight queasy feeling. According to its date, it should not have expired, but still …

 _Leave it up to my old man to try this stuff. There's one for the compost heap_ , Karin told herself. I _bet the bears won't even eat this when I dump it out._

Finishing her breakfast, she put the scraps, mostly the horrible fake bacon, in to the pail she used for just such a purpose. Then, she rounded up her empty plastic containers, and pulled out the foldable cart from the kitchen closet. She loaded it up and headed outside, Time to go fetch more water.

The rain barrels were situated out back of the house. At first, the long rips in the cloths Karin used to help filter the water did not concern her. Occasionally, a thirsty bear might come along, and not bother to remove her filter but tear straight through it. But After she had filled her last container and heaved it in to the cart, something next to the barrels caught her eye. One barrel had a very small slow leak, and in the damp soil, there was a footprint. A large footprint that did not resemble a bear.

 _Maybe … maybe it was Maurice?_

But the print did not match Maurice's foot, and she knew it.

Her good feeling was rapidly evaporating, being replaced by a definite feeling of being plain old spooked. As she rushed to refill all her water containers, her eyes kept scanning her surroundings. She thought she felt eyes on her back as she worked.

 _But if he/she or it doesn't want me to see, I won't,_ she thought. _Not until it's too late, anyway._

"Stop that!" she hissed out loud to herself. "Karin Evans, now you just stop that!"

But the sound of her own hoarse whispering voice creeped her out even more.

She grabbed the handles of her cart and marched around to the front of her house. But before she could go inside, a rock came whizzing past her face.

With an involuntary cry of fright, Karin ducked, but not fast enough. It grazed her cheek, drawing out a long thin line of blood. Wincing, Karin touched her fingertips to the spot. They came back red.

"Son of a …"

Without thinking, she bent down and seized the rock, cutting her hand on a very sharp edge, a finely-honed edge. _The think could have done a lot more damage than just a scratch_ , she thought.

Remembering her miserable childhood, and the only few good memories those of playing ball with her older brothers, she gripped the rock harder, ignoring the sharp pain. The rock became slick with her own blood. Then, with a scream of fear and rage, mostly rage, she wound up and hurled it as hard as she could in the direction she thought it had come. She did not really expect it to find its mark, but it made her feel a little better, anyway.

Karin pressed her back against the solid stone wall of the house for some protection.

"Hey," she shrieked in to the supposed empty woods around her. "Hey you! You want me out, you're gonna have to do a lot better than that! I'm not bothering you so just leave me ALONE!"

Trembling, Karin grabbed her cart full of water and dashed in to her house, slamming and locking all the locks on her very solid door.

She was so flustered that she did not even notice the smears of blood she left across her door.

 _Dad, I'm sorry about all those times I complained about your paranoia_ , Karin silently told her long dead parent. It looked like the old man's mental illness just might come in handy after all.

* * *

Maurice's mind was still in a bit of a whirl even as he made his way to Karin's house. She was not his secret anymore, not now that both Caesar and Cornelia knew what was going on.

 _Had he done the right thing? The poor old Orangutan just didn't know._

 _And what will those two cook up between them_ , Maurice wondered as he swung through the trees. Knowing the pair, there was no way to guess. None.

 _How am I going to break this to Karin_ , was his next set of worries? She was unlikely to be happy when she found out that more Apes know about her. Maurice knew she was frightened of Apes in general, frightened of almost everything, really, and not just Apes. Was it her isolation that had done that? He did not think so, not entirely.

What he did not know, and had not yet come up with a gentle way to ask, was why she was so frightened of Apes? Had something happened, maybe in the recent past? Had she met other Apes, and not in good circumstances?

 _I hope Apes weren't directly responsible for the death of her child_. Maurice did not think so, being almost certain Karin had mentioned something vague about her daughter being ill. He prayed it was not Apes who killed little Lisa.

It was almost a shock when the Orangutan found himself entering Karin's little clearing. He had not realized he had been traveling so fast.

He smiled as he approached the house. And then, he froze in his tracks. Lifting his head, he sniffed the air.

 _Blood! Human blood!_

There was not a lot. He found a few small drops soaking in to the dirt, but what really got his attention was the several smears of drying blood on Karin's front door.

The big Orangutan struggled to keep himself under control. He did not want to frighten her again with another needless outburst. But the blood was nearly dry. It had obviously been there for hours, maybe since that morning.

All the worst possibilities flashed through Maurice's mind as he raised his hand, and pounded on Karin's door. Yes, it was not his usual polite knock. He hoped she would forgive his lack of manners in the current situation. And, if he had to break her door down, he hoped she would forgive that, too.

 _I'll help her fix it!_

Hearing nothing, he pounded again, harder.

"Karin!" he cried her name in to the silence. "Karin!"

Something at the back of the house shattered, and he heard a woman swear quite colorfully.

 _Well, at least she's awake,_ he almost grinned as footsteps rushed towards the door.

The peephole in the door slid open.

"Maurice?" Karin's hushed voice said through the tiny slit.

He softly rumbled at her, trying to sound less threatening and more soothing.

"Jesus!" was all she said before closing the peephole and starting to open her door.

It took her a moment. Maurice could hear her disengaging locks that he had not even known were present on the door. Once she had it open, he had to fling his arms out quickly to catch her. The poor woman practically threw herself at him. She clung tightly to him for a moment.

"Get in, quick," she urged. "and for God's sake, close that door!"

He allowed her to pull him in to the house, and nudged the door shut with his foot. She released him then, turning back to her door and re-engaging her locks. The sound of so many locks clicking in to place was not a pleasant one for Maurice, but he let it go. He knew she was not trying to cage him. She was obviously trying to keep something else out.

And, in the faint light thrown by her battery-powered lamp, he knew right away that something else was wrong. As she turned back to him, he reached out one large hand and gently cupped her face. She started to flinch away, then sighed with resignation. She held up a bandaged hand, also.

To his credit, Maurice did not let his basic protective instincts overwhelm him this time, though he badly wanted to let them.

"What happened here?" Maurice asked gently, leading her back to her battered old couch.

Once she was sitting down, Maurice could almost see her weighing what options to tell him. But she caught him a little off guard with a question.

"Maurice, have you been behind my house in the last day or two?"

He blinked.

"No," he answered. "I have never been behind your house. Why?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she replied. "But I hoped … Oh, who am I trying to kid. I knew it wasn't you."

Maurice gently took her uninjured hand in his own, and he waited patiently. She was obviously working her way to telling him something important, and he was in no hurry to have to tell her about his conversations with his Leader and his Queen. So, he waited, softly stroking her hand all the while.

"I have rain barrels back there to help collect water," she explained. "One of them has a slow hairline leak in the bottom. And, next to that one I found … I found an Ape's footprint."

Maurice did not like the sound of that.

"When?" he asked.

"This morning, just a little after dawn."

 _Oh no! Someone else besides Caesar and Cornelia know about her_.

Maurice did not like this one bit.

The big Orangutan squeezed his friend's hand, in part to comfort her, and in part to keep himself under control. His protective instincts were at war with his higher intelligence again.

"Did an Ape attack you?"

She gave a start, then lowered her eyes before answering.

"n-no," she said very hesitantly.

"Why is it," Maurice said a little irritably. "Why is it that humans often say the opposite of what they really mean?"

"I didn't," she started to protest.

The old Orangutan fixed her with a stern look.

"Oh, fine then," she relented.

He watched as Karin turned her head, and with her free hand clumsily peeled back the bandage on her face.

Maurice gasped out loud when he saw her wound. He was certain he knew what had caused it.

"Someone or something threw a rock at me," she told him unnecessarily.

 _Not just a_ rock, Maurice thought, his anger rising.

Maurice let go of her hand and got quickly to his feet.

"What—What's the matter?" she cried, jumping up and following him to her front door.

"Open this, please," he growled at her.

"But where are you going?" she asked even as she fumbled with her various locks.

"To look around," he told her. "I will be back soon. You locked yourself in here when I am gone."

"I'm coming with you,""

She started to follow him outside.

 _Females!_ Maurice thought annoyed. _Ape or human, why do they never do as they are told?_

Whirling around, Maurice easily caught the woman by her waist, and firmly set her back inside.

"No! You stay safe here!"

"But it's too dark!" he heard her calling out after him. "You don't know you're way around here!"

Her anguished voice tore at his tender heart. All that was probably true. But he did still have her little light with him. And he would be careful.

"Close and lock your door," he snarled back at her. And, finally she darted back in, slamming the door shut.

He looked back one last time to see her glaring at him from her living room window.

 _I'll make it up to her_ , he thought sadly as he headed for the back of her house. _Just as soon as I make sure she's safe._

* * *

Karin paced the inside of her house, fuming. She did not know what there was about a nasty scratch that set Maurice off like that. She had been wishing that she had saved the rock to show him, but now was glad she had thrown it away.

" _idiot," Karin muttered to herself as she stomped back and forth helplessly. "Silly old overprotective Ape."_

 _Eventually, she got tired of pacing and stomping around. She flung herself down on her couch, and pulling a lamp close for some light, she pressed her face against a window, waiting for Maurice to return._

 _But when more than an hour had passed, and there was still no sign of Maurice, her fear overrode her anger in indignation._

" _I don't care what he wants," she muttered. "I'm going out to look for him. If he's gone off in to the woods behind the house …"_

 _Actual terror flooded her. What if he gets attacked by a wildcat or a bear. What if he misjudges in the dark and falls? What if …_

Stopping her privatewhat ifs, Karin collected a couple of knives, tying one on a rope around her waist and fixing the other smaller one in to a holster that she strapped to her thigh. Again, she blessed her Father's paranoid tendencies for leaving her all this stuff.

 _I wish his mind had not gone bad before I found out where the old fool buried the rest of the ammo,_ though, Karin fretted. She had plenty of guns, but her Father had buried the remainder of his ammunitions, and she did not know exactly where, except that it was somewhere in the overgrown back yard.

 _No time to go digging for it_ now, she told herself.

Grabbing an extra-large and heavy mag light and a few batteries, she switched on the light and hung it by its strap around her neck and headed out towards the back of her house.

It was easy enough to find Maurice's footprints near the one leaking water barrel. After that, it became more of a challenge, and Karin was not a trained tracker of anything, let alone an orangutan who would probably be taking to the trees.

"Maurice," she stage-whispered as she entered the surrounding woods with much hesitation. "where are you? If you get us both killed, I'll never forgive you for it."

It did not take long before Karin had to face the fact that she would never find Maurice in the darkened woods. Not unless he wanted her too, and he wanted her to stay in the house. She was just about to start back, when a rending crash made her jump.

"Oh, God! Maurice?" she shrieked, running towards the sound.

It was not hard to find the toppled tree. She nearly fell over it, in fact. And beneath it was a large mound of fur.

"Maurice?" Karin cried.

She tried to pull him out from beneath the tree, but he was too heavy. And he was good and pinned down. The weight of the giant old tree was not helping matters, either, Karin pushed and pulled and clawed uselessly at the old tree, but the only thing that did was to re-open the wound on the one hand while badly cutting and scraping the other.

Getting hold of herself, the frantic woman stopped fighting with the tree.

"One of my crazy old Dad's stupid traps," Karin sobbed. "I tried to warn you, but you wouldn't listen."

But the old Orangutan was not listening now. He was unconscious. It appeared to Karin as if the tree had first fallen and landed on his chest. Before he fell unconscious, he must have been able to shift it lower to where it only now pinned his lower body, instead.

"Busted ribs, punctured lungs. Oh God, Maurice."

Karin was openly weeping now. But she knew what she had to do.

"Don't you dare die on me before I get back," she commanded the unconscious Ape tearfully.

Then, she fled back to her house, running faster than she had ever run in her life. Snatching up a compass, she headed away from the house in the opposite direction.

Karin did not even try to find easy trails. She just kept running, barreling her way forward. She ran and jumped and tripped over limbs and rocks, but always got up and kept going. She was sure she was heading in the right general direction. And, making enough noise to wake the dead or any predator nearby.

Though she was already badly scraped and bruised and bleeding, her fear for Maurice outweighed any fears for her own life.

When she thought she might be close enough, Karin mustered her strength and began to scream with all her might.

"Help?" Karin screamed in to the darkness. "Caesar! Anyone, help, please? Maurice needs help! CAESAR! CAESAR!"

She kept screaming out the Ape Leaders name as she ran. Dizziness and her own blood loss began to overtake her, but she would not let herself fall. Then, she reeled forward and slammed straight in to something very large, solid and very hairy.

 _Bear!_ That was her first panicked thought. But before she could go for one of her knives, she was hoisted up off the ground by her upper arms. Still crying out for Caesar, Karin kicked and screamed until the thing slapped a hand over her face. This still did not completely quiet her, so she was pulled in to its big chest hard enough to knock the breath out of her. She was roughly searched, her knives taken. She was held out away from the big furry chest, dangling in mid-air by her arms, and before it was ripped away from her by another big furry thing nearby, her light showed the heavy-browed face of King Kong gaping at her in utter astonishment.

The huge gorillas amazed expression might have been funny, if things weren't so serious. But Karin had done what she'd wanted to do. She had found Maurice's people.

Karin Evans had found the Apes. 

* * *

_A/N:_

Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this from the start. And, a huge welcome to any new readers. Reviews and/or PMs are always welcome.


	10. Chapter 10

After Blue Eyes had gone to sleep, Caesar had stayed up late talking over Maurice's new adventures and his new human friend with Cornelia. Nothing definite had been decided, but they both did want to do something to help this lone human female. If Maurice was this concerned, and according to Cornelia so very attached to the woman, Caesar felt they could do nothing less. After all, her dried foods had been a big help especially when the winter was so hard it was difficult for even Apes to hunt and forage. She had made the winters much more comfortable for them. What could they do to make life more comfortable for her in return?

How could they help her without frightening her? That was the big question that neither Caesar or his wife had an answer too just yet. The other looming question was how to tell the village about her, they had not even discussed yet.

He fell asleep mulling all this over in his mind.

"Caesar!"

The Ape Leader turned a little restlessly in his sleep. Why was Caroline calling for him? He was certain he'd picked up all his puzzles from the living room floor and put them away. Well, he was almost sure.

"Caesar!"

She was not just calling for him, she was screaming for him. What was wrong? Was Charles hurt?

"… Maurice is … Cae-sar!"

"Yes, Caroline. I am coming," he muttered.

 _Wait! Why is Caroline talking about Maurice? She doesn't know him?_ Caesar wondered even in his dream state.

Grumbling a little, the Ape Leader started to rouse himself, but the short alarm bark from outside brought him fully awake and out of bed in an instant

"Luca," he gasped.

Glancing over, he saw that Cornelia was already awake, and restraining an anxious blue Eyes, who obviously wanted to run out and see what was wrong.

"No!" Caesar signed to his young son.

"You both stay here," he signed to his worried wife.

As he vaulted from his home, he almost crashed straight in to Koba. Koba's young daughter was behind her Father, her eyes wide.

"Luca caught humans!" Koba snarled.

"Go to Cornelia and stay with her," Caesar told Mary, speaking out loud.

The little Ape girl moved to obey Caesar without a word of complaint.

"Koba, stay here. Guard family!" he commanded his top hunter and Warrior.

Then he headed at a dead run to the outer walls. Rocket was immediately at his side.

"Caesar, I can't find Maurice? He isn't in his home," Rocket signed, nearly frantic with worry.

But this did not concern Caesar. He knew Maurice would not be home. And, now, as he came nearer and saw what looked to be Luca holding a ragdoll in one arm, a ragdoll that struggled weakly, Caesar thought he knew who had been screaming for him. What he did not know yet was why?

* * *

 _A/N:_

Thanks to everyone who is reading, and especially those who review or PM me about this story. I love all the comments, questions, etc, so please keep them coming.

This was actually the first section of a much larger chapter. But, after I looked at my word count, I thought it was way too long. So, I've broken it up in to shorter chunks. Two more chatpers literally coming right up.


	11. Chapter 11

After swatting away one or two more curious of his comrades for pawing at her too much, she thought, King Kong had loosened his grip quite a bit, but he did not seem ready to put Karin down anytime soon. Given the rising sounds of alarm she could hear nearby, she was not sure if she entirely minded. She was so dizzy now and out of breath that she feared she might collapse if he did set her down. And the big Ape's grip was no longer hard and immobilizing. Restraining, yes, but it felt almost protective.

She leaned against his chest as she fought to get her breath back.

"Please, I need Caesar?" she finally gasped to the huge gorilla. "Maurice is hurt."

The gorilla gave a visible start at that. Karin felt him shifting her around, and saw him trying to sign to her one handed. She was cheered a little bit by and did appreciate the gorilla's attempts to communicate, but he was signing far too quickly for her limited understanding.

 _How can anyone sign that well and one-handed_ , Karin wondered, amazed.

"You're going to fast! I don't know that much sign yet?" Karin cried. "Maurice hasn't been teaching me that long. Please, just take me to Caesar! It's life or death! Please?"

"Caesar…comes…now," the big gorilla said out loud to her.

His speech was slow, but clear.

"Oh, thank you!" Karin gulped. She sobbed with sheer relief.

"Thank you!"

"Welcome," the big gorilla grunted.

The world was threatening to go tilt much worse for her now. Karin bit her lip hard as the blood ran from the re-opened wound on her head and in to her eyes. The pain from her bit lip helped to keep her conscious.

"I can't go to sleep," she muttered almost to herself. "I can't … Maurice … Please don't make me sleep? I have to help Maurice first."

To her utter amazement, the gorilla she was thinking of as King Kong took one huge hand, probably the one he had so recently slapped over her mouth, but this time he gently wiped her face with it. She was reminded very strongly of Maurice's comforting gestures, and thanked whatever God might exist that she had not fallen in to the hands of an Ape of a more brutal nature, not this time.

"Give her to me."

Karin heard the rough voice. It sounded as if it came from a very long way away. The next thing she knew, King Kong was holding her out in his big hands, and another Ape was taking hold of her.

'NO!" Karin roused herself enough to cry out. She tried to keep hold of King Kong's fur, but it was no use. She was handed, albeit quite gently, straight in to the arms of another Ape.

"I need Caesar! Don't you understand me?" She shrieked angrily.

"I … am … Caesar," the gruff voice spoke again as the Ape pulled her against his chest. "Are you Karin? Tel me … what is wrong, Karin?"

 _Oh, no! He knows my name!_

Karin tried to blink the blood from her eyes to get a clearer look at him. Maurice had described him to her very well, but all she could see above her through the red haze of blood and her tears was a big blur.

Oh God!" Karin wept. "Maurice is hurt. Tree, big old tree, it fell on him. I couldn't move it! Had to get help … for Maurice …"

Karin groaned as she felt Caesar whip around and dimly heard him calling to the other apes. His sudden motion made her head swim even more. In desperation, she raised one hand and raked her nails down her good cheek, drawing even more blood. But at least the pain woke her up again.

'NO!" Caesar barked, and first she was not sure he was speaking to her. But when he caught her hand firmly in his before she could use her nails on her face again, she got the message.

"You don't hurt," he commanded her.

"I have to stay awake!" she exclaimed in desperation. "I have to show you where Maurice is!"

"You … talk … do not hurt. Talk to me … and you will stay awake," Caesar insisted.

"Talk?" Karin murmured faintly.

She thought she heard horses approaching.

"Luca, hold her," Caesar commanded, and Karin felt herself transferred yet again. But this chest was a familiar one, so she did not protest.

"Oh, Hiya King Kong," she murmured fuzzily, gazing blearily up in to the gorilla's slightly familiar face.

"Luca," she thought that she heard Caesar chuckle, and then she was passed back to Caesar. They now sat atop a horse. She was cradled against his body, his arms supporting her even as he gripped his horse's mane.

"Which way," Caesar asked as other Apes mounted up around them.

"My light?" she started to ask, but it was handed to her by another Ape. She thought this was a hairless one.

Turning it on, she winced as it stabbed her eyes. Shining it around ahead of her, she quickly got enough of her Barings to point them in the right direction.

* * *

 _A/N:_

Hang on, Maurice. the cavalry is on its way. :)

More thanks to anyone who is still reading this far. A special 'hi' to all my new favorite and followers.

Next chapter coming right up..


	12. Chapter 12

A short time later, the small party of Apes and one human rode carefully through the forest. Caesar and Karin were flanked on the left and right by Luca and Rocket. Two other gorillas flanked a female chimpanzee called Sparrow, the camp's best Healer. They rode directly behind Caesar.

"Please tell me," Caesar spoke, his voice quiet but enough to keep unconsciousness at bay. "Tell me … about how you know Maurice?"

Karin knew there were apes on all sides of her, left right and behind. If she told Caesar, the closest apes, almost the hairless one, the big gorilla she thought of as King Kong and whom Caesar had called Luca, and some of the others would hear her story. But she figured there was no help for it. If she did not start talking soon, she would pass out. And Caesar had made it absolutely clear he was not going to let her hurt herself again, not so much as a minor scratch.

And, maybe if she was completely honest with these apes, maybe they would let her see Maurice again. This was why she started talking so much. The horse's motion was aggravating her headache enough to keep her well and truly conscious.

"It wasn't his fault," Karin began her story. "It was mine. I did something stupid and hurt myself in the forest at night. I knocked myself out. I know he should have left me to die, or killed me himself. But, he didn't. He carried me back home. He's been trying to take care of me ever since."

"Why," Caesar interrupted her, deeply disturbed by some of her words. "Why should he have left you to die … or killed you?"

Karin blinked in surprise.

"But that's your law, isn't it?" She asked.

"That all humans who come near your Colony should be killed?"

The Ape Leader's breath caught in his throat.

"did Maurice tell you that?" Caesar asked, not trying to hide the shock in his voice.

"No," Karin admitted as she directed them to the left.

"NO, of course not. Not Maurice … another Ape told me … years ago. Real angry chimpanzee, I think he was a chimp. He really hates us. He said the Apes would be coming for me someday. He said you would kill me, but …"

Her words spilled out and began to tumble over themselves as she remembered things she wanted to forget forever.

"…but if I behaved myself, maybe my child would be spared. Maybe me, too. Maybe she and I would be allowed to serve the Apes."

Caesar gave a low growl, and Karin trembled even more.

She placed one hand imploringly over Caesar's on the horse's neck.

"Please," she begged. "Please, do whatever you want to me. But don't punish Maurice. And just let me see he's okay before I die? If I know Maurice is okay, I can die in peace."

* * *

Caesar struggled to get his outrage under control before he spoke. He gave a sharp look aside to Luca and Rocket, who were also growling under their breath. If they didn't stop, Caesar was afraid the woman would die just from trembling and trying to catch her breath. What had Will called it, hyper … something

The Ape Leader carefully tightened his arms around the ragged human woman. He thought he could almost feel her ribs through her thread bear clothing. He hoped she would know he meant to comfort, not to hurt her.

"No one … is going to kill you, Karin," he told the frightened woman.

"I give you my word. NO Ape will hurt you or your daughter. And my word is Ape law."

Luca and Rocket both nodded emphatically, but Caesar doubted the woman could see them through her tears.

From behind him, he heard a gentle sob. Taking a quick look over his shoulder, he saw young Sparrow crying quietly. Sparrow briefly met her Leader's eyes, and Caesar knew what she was thinking. This Ape Karin talked about had obviously done much more than just threaten her with harsh words. Just how much more, Caesar was afraid to learn.

"Lisa's dead," the woman said. "She's been gone for well more than a year now, I figured the only reason I was still alive was because of Lisa. Since she's been gone, well, I've been expecting you guys to show up."

 _And yet she still ventured out two or three times a year and in the bitter cold to deliver her packages_ , Caesar thought.

"Not … Ape?" Caesar asked, praying her answer would be no.

"Your daughter, she was not killed by ape?"

"NO, not Ape," she answered his prayers, and Caesar let out the breath he had not realized he had been holding in all that time. "My beautiful baby girl was not well, from the time she was born. I don't' know how she lasted as long as she did, but no Ape killed her. She died in her sleep one night."

Caesar felt a sharp stab of pity for the woman. He could not help thinking of Blue Eyes at home. He did not know what he would do if his son ever died before him, but he was certain that he would never be able to get over it.

"I … am sorry … about your daughter," Caesar said simply. "I … I am a parent, too. And … I am sorry … about Apes threats. We will protect you from now on. We will help Maurice protect you."

"You sound just like Maurice," Karin gave a shaky little laugh. Then she started to cry again.

"That's why Maurice is hurt," she blurted out. "Someone threw a rock at me earlier yesterday morning. It was honed to a sharp point. It cut my face open. There was an Ape footprint by my water barrels, too. Maurice was furious. He went out looking for signs of more Apes. I begged him not to go or to take me with him if he did. It's my families land, I know it like the back of my hand, dark or not. But he made me stay in the house and lock all the doors. But, when he didn't come back, I said screw it, he's not my husband and I don't have to take his orders, and I went out looking for him. And, now he's out there, hurt because he wanted to protect me!" She finished with a heartbroken wail.

Rocket and Luca both chuckled.

"Sounds like a wife, doesn't she?" Luca signed, teasing Rocket and Caesar.

Karin thought she saw Caesar giving Luca a fond smile as the big gorilla guided his own horse one handed closer to Caesar's horse, and gently patted the woman's head with his other huge hand.

"She's a brave strong female," Luca signed after he stopped patting Karin's bent head. He had stopped embarrassed, the minute he saw Caesar watching him. "Just like a gorilla female would be."

"What's he saying?" Karin sniffed, catching the gorilla signing from the corner of her eye but not understanding all of it, except that he was talking about her.

Luca was shaking his head franticly at Caesar, but he pretended not to see it and told her, anyway.

"He says … you are a brave strong female, like gorilla females," Caesar translated.

He did not entirely disagree with Luca's assessment. To be threatened and probably much worse, and as utterly terrified as she was and still literally come barreling through the forest at night, practically hurling herself in to their arms. That told him all about the woman that Caesar needed to know. Maurice had made a fine choice, human or not.

"Not hardly," Karin scoffed. "I'm just desperate. I don't want Maurice to die! No other male has ever been so kind to me."

 _And, modest too_ , Caesar thought.

"Not you're Father?" Caesar asked, surprised. "Not your baby's Father?"

Karin snorted in derision.

"If my babies so-called Daddy is still alive, he better never set a foot on my doorstep ever again!" She declared hotly. "He never wanted Lisa, anyway. Wanted me to abort her … that means kill her before she could be born. He didn't want to have to pay child support."

"And, Dad, well he never beat me like he did my older brothers, but his praise was always a little left handed."

"You know," She went on to explain. "Stuff like, You're a real good girl, Karin, good and smart. That's a good thing, little Darlin, 'cause you're so damn ugly no man will ever have you."

Rocket and Luca both growled low in their throats again, and Caesar winced visibly. Who would say something like that to their own daughter? He could not imagine his human Father Will or his human grandfather, Charles, ever doing that to a child. Even when Charles mind was so sick, he never acted like that.

"We're almost there. Can't we go any faster?" Karin complained.

Caesar thought she was also desperate to change the subject. And, relieved, he was more than happy to let her. This poor woman had, from the sound of it and the look of her, had a miserable life even before the humans started dying off. He was ashamed of the thought, but Caesar wondered if she were not better off, now that a lot of humans were dead.

"Not safe, fast riding at night," Caesar told her. He wished they could go faster, too.

* * *

Karin grumbled a little, but she knew Caesar was right. Still, she was impatient. They were getting close.

Suddenly, she straightened against Caesar's chest, and stabbed her light to the right.

"He's over there?" Karin exclaimed.

With a sudden burst of strength that he obviously had not expected her to muster, Karin wrenched herself from Caesar's grip, nearly tumbling from the horse in her haste. She hit the ground hard, rolled over twice, then was up on her feet and running.

"This way," she called as she ran. She knew Caesar might not be happy with how fast she had bailed out, but she also knew that the Apes would follow her. She did not care if they were angry with her, if she could get to him.

When Karin reached him, Maurice's eyes were open, and she could not quite read the expression in them as he saw her.

"He's over here!" she shouted. "Hurry!"

Karin flung herself down beside her friend, placing her hands gently on either side of his face, tenderly cupping his cheek flaps.

"Karin?" The Orangutan asked weakly. "I told you to stay indoors, not to follow me.

"You're very welcome," she shot back. "And don't you dare tell me what to do! You aren't my husband."

"Besides, you're in no position to make me listen, are you," she added.

"I … I lost your flashlight. I'm sorry," Maurice said wearily.

"I … do not … believe you!" Karin stammered, infuriated.

"First you tell me I should have stayed indoors, and now you're worried about my damn flashlight? I don't care about the damn flashlight. I care about you. You are stuck under a tree, in case you didn't know. I went for help."

She saw Maurice's eyes go wide. If his arms had not been pinned down, Karin was sure he would have been grabbing her hands in alarm.

"OH, Karin! What have you done?" He asked.

"What she has done, old friend, is save your life," a low gruff voice spoke right next to them, almost right in to Karin's ear.

Karin nearly jumped out of her skin. She had been so intent on Maurice that she had not even heard the Ape's approaching.

"Caesar," Maurice breathed.

But Caesar knelt next to Karin, and put a hand on his old friend's forehead.

"Lie still and don't talk, Maurice. We'll take you home now."

"Caesar," Maurice insisted. "Caesar, promise me you'll look after Karin … until I can again."

Karin opened her mouth to protest, but Caesar did not give her the chance. He placed his other hand gently on Karin's head.

"I give you my word, Maurice. She is under my personal protection now. I will care for her."

Luca and the other two gorillas were easily lifting the tree away from Maurice. Karin was a bit astonished and a little frightened by how easily they tossed the huge thing aside.

'Oh, good," Maurice breath, then he began to cough painfully. "I can sleep now."

His eyes closed.

Karin panicked.

"Maurice?" both Karin and Caesar cried in unison.

But Sparrow was there, and she quickly hushed them both.

"Oh, Maurice! What … what's she saying," Karin sobbed, sure her friend, her crimson angel, was dead.

"She's saying we need to shut up now and let Maurice sleep. She's saying she thinks he will be okay," Caesar told her. "But he'll need quiet and rest. See, he still breathes."

Karin leaned close and could feel Maurice's breath on her face. A couple of her own tears fell in to the orangutan's tangled locks.

Caesar sat down and gently pried her hands from Maurice's face. She did not want to let him go, but knew that the Chimpanzee healer needed room to work. Reluctantly, she let Caesar cradle her in his arms as they both watched Sparrow snapping out her orders to the other apes. Luca and his gorillas were busy breaking the tree in to large sections, mostly with their bare hands, while Rocket was bringing back loads and loads of thick vines and soft leaves.

Caesar started to put Karin down, but Sparrow shook her head at him, and signed something sharply that made the Ape Leader smile and change his mind.

"What?" Karin asked.

"She told me to stay put with you," Caesar translated. "You need looking after too, Karin. You have lost much blood."

* * *

When Karin did not respond, especially with a protest, Caesar looked down and frowned in deep concern. The human woman was now lying limp and unconscious in his arms. He wondered how she would react as he lay her down and she, too, was gently lashed to Sparrow's improvised stretcher right next to Maurice. The stretcher was slung between Caesar and Luca's horses and born gently away to the Ape village. Even if he had not promised Maurice to care for her, Caesar would have brought the human woman with them. It pained him to take her in to the heart of a place filled with people he knew she feared, and not without good reason. But in her condition, and after her story, like Maurice, he dared not leave her alone.

Now came the task of finding out which Ape had harmed her. And Caesar prayed with all his might that his fears and suspicions were wrong.

* * *

 _A/N:_

Hi to all my faithful long-suffering readers. Please keep the reviews and/or PMs coming.

Now, I have a questionf or all my readers. If I had not broken this up, it would have been one long chapter of over four thousand words. Would you all prefer to read short or long chapters? Or, as long as I update, does it matter hthe chapter length? Please let me know.


	13. Chapter 13

They arrived just as the dawn was breaking. Caesar watched as Sparrow ran on ahead while Luca and the gorillas followed her, carrying away the stretcher bearing Maurice and the human woman, heading for the Healer's huts. He hid his smile as he noticed that, even in their deep sleep, he did not want to think unconsciousness, Maurice and Karin's hands were firmly entwined.

 _Separating those two might be a problem. Cornelia was right about Maurice's attachment,_ Caesar thought. And, given her actions, he no longer doubted that it was returned in full by the woman. Where it might lead his old friend and this woman, where it might lead all of them, well, they would just have to wait and see.

He was in no hurry to go back home now. Cornelia would be at the Healing Hut, helping to get things ready. In the distance, he could see his son and Ash and some few of the other children stirring. The village was now truly waking up.

"Rocket, run ahead and find Koba. Tell him I'd like to speak with him."

"Caesar, you don't think that Koba is the—" Rocket started to sign.

"Just thank him for protecting my wife and son and tell him I need to speak with him alone, Rocket," Caesar interrupted, signing firmly. "Say nothing else to him."

He did not want to go in to it with Rocket or anyone other than Koba yet. He knew exactly what Rocket was about to say, and he had no answers for his friend. But he did not want to think that Koba was the Ape who had terrorized Karin, terrorized and maybe far worse.

"Yes, Caesar," Rocket signed. He didn't look very happy about it, but Caesar knew his old friend could be totally trusted to follow his orders to the letter. Even in the face of Koba's reaction.

So, Caesar was not at all surprised that when Koba came to him a few moments later that his friend was in a state of barely controlled rage.

"You brought a human in to the village?" Koba signed, looking honestly stunned. "Why, Caesar, why?"

"The human woman saved Maurice's life. She is ill and injured and alone. She needs taking care of, herself," Caesar answered simply. "And, I promised Maurice …"

"Promised Maurice?" Koba signed incredulously. "Maurice … he consorts with HUMANS!"

Koba's signs were dripping with in indignant outrage. "Maurice was hurt because he consorts with humans!"

Knowing he'd better get this conversation under control and right now, Caesar slowly rose to his full height, and fixed Koba with a stony glare. He had asked his friend to meet with him to get questions answered, his questions, not Koba's.

Caesar waited patiently as Koba gradually managed to get himself back under control. He dropped immediately in to a submissive posture, holding his palm up to Caesar for forgiveness.

Caesar let him hold that posture for a few seconds, then swiped his palm.

"I did not call you here to upset you, my friend," he signed carefully to Koba. "I wanted to inform you of our, guest, before you saw her for yourself. I also wanted to tell you that I may need Mary's help."

Koba drew in a slow deep breath, and Caesar waited.

"My Mary? Why her?" Koba asked out loud, his voice very tight but perfectly controlled.

"Mary is without a doubt the best speaker in the village," Caesar explained patiently. "The woman, Karin, does not know much sign yet. I'd like Mary to help translate for her until she picks up more of our language."

Another few seconds of tense silence passed between them.

"How long … will human female be here?" Koba growled, clearly not happy.

"I can't say," Caesar told him. "Until Maurice his better, for certain."

", but maybe longer?" Koba asked.

"Maybe," Caesar confirmed.

Caesar let a silence stretch between them for a few moments before going on.

"Koba, do you know of any recent attacks on any human women, by apes?"

Koba immediately stiffened and looked at the ground, and Caesar's heart fell through the soles of his feet. Still, he waited for Koba to answer.

"Maybe human girl lies," Koba suggested. "Lies to get Apes in trouble."

Caesar deliberately did not respond. He was not going to get in to an argument with Koba over this. But he thought that even Koba did not act as if he believed what he was saying.

"Not recent," Koba finally said. "Happened years ago."

"Koba," Caesar began quietly, but Koba just couldn't seem to contain himself any longer.

"Caesar … thinks that Koba attacked human girl?" Koba growled indignantly. He was now trembling with outrage.

Caesar did not answer, but it must have been written on his face.

Koba drew himself up slowly and looked his Leader square in the eyes. Caesar did not react as Koba chose his next response very carefully.

"Caesar knows Koba … hates humans. But Koba has never … ever hurt … any female, not human females or ape females," Koba said, speaking each word out loud and very carefully. "Not ever. Give Caesar my word … never did. Koba … helped human female. Stopped attack on her. Chased another Ape away from her. Took her back to her home and child. And left her there."

"How did you know she had a child?" Caesar asked quietly.

"child's scent was on her. And … and heard the child crying from inside the home."

"Have you been to her home recently?" Caesar asked quietly.

"NO!" Koba insisted. "Koba not see her home or her and her child in years."

"Well, someone did, just yesterday," Caesar told his friend. "Someone who threw something at her, something that might be a tip from one of our spears. It cut her face open."

Koba's hair bristled all along his back.

"And the child?" Koba growled more ferociously than Caesar would have expected.

'No, the woman herself," Caesar corrected.

Koba's face darkened even more. And Caesar could not blame him. NO one likes to be accused of things they did not do. And he was really beginning to believe that Koba told him the truth. Koba was not the sort to play the games Karin's attacker seemed to be playing with her, anyway.

Koba heaved a heavy sigh of resignation.

"Who will you send after her child?" Koba asked, surprising Caesar with the question.

"No one," Caesar answered.

"Caesar!" Koba gasped, utterly amazed.

The ape King would have laughed at the totally incredulous look he received from Koba, if the situation had not been so serious. But his scarred friends' reaction also filled Caesar with great hope for him.

"There is no need. She says her child has been dead for some time now."

Koba grew very still. He bowed his head and huffed softly, but otherwise stayed silent. If Caesar had not known better, he would have almost sworn Koba was briefly mourning the child's death. He's thinking of his own child, Caesar thought.

They stayed that way, Koba not replying for a long time. But Caesar waited, patiently. His friend was growing a bit more peaceful, and Caesar would not disturb that unless it was necessary.

"Tell human woman she is safe," Koba finally said grudgingly. "The one who hurt her is dead. I know this …. I killed him, myself.

Caesar knew of only one Ape that Koba had killed.

"Koba, are you telling me it was—" Caesar began.

"Yes, Caesar. Koba saw some of it … Pope chased human woman, beat and attacked her, nearly killed her. It was Pope."

Caesar was relieved to hear that Karin's original attacker would not be coming back, but that did not explain recent events.

"But yesterday …"

"Know nothing about that," Koba said quietly. "But it could not be Pope. And it was not me, Caesar. I swear it, on my Mary's head."

Then Maurice was right to be so afraid for her, Caesar mused worriedly. And, now Caesar was afraid for her, too.

"Then, we have a problem. There is someone else," Caesar growled.

Koba shook his head.

"No! Her problem," Koba insisted stubbornly. "Or Maurice's problem. Let Maurice protect her himself. Human woman's problem is not aping. Why should Ape help her? Helped her once, that's enough."

Caesar sighed. He should have known Better. He should have known Koba's reaction was too good to last.

"Because she may have saved your daughter's life," Caesar said gently but very firmly. "Have you forgotten how deathly sick Mary was last winter? Have you forgotten the only thing she could keep down for weeks at a time was that paste and stew the women made from the food gifts the human woman has been leaving us?"

Koba gaped at Caesar, then dropped his eyes to the ground.

"She is the one giving us the food in wintertime?" Koba asked. "That is who Maurice has taken up with?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention that," Caesar said straight faced. 'Yes, Koba, this is also the woman who has been leaving us the large packages of dried foods, which we have all eaten some, me, you, little Mary, all of our eldest … all of us."

Koba gave a low frustrated growl. Caesar knew it was time to end this before his friend could get himself worked up again.

"No, Koba … it is our problem. If this ape is willing to attack a lone human female, who is to say he wouldn't attack a lone Ape female, or ape child, sometime. So, I want you to keep your eyes open," Caesar told his second in command slowly. "and if you see anyone acting, suspiciously, towards Karin, or at all, come to me immediately."

He could see that Koba did not like the order much. But having Mary in such proximity to Karin would give him a little extra motivation. It was not why Caesar wanted the young girl there, of course, but why not kill two birds with one stone, as Charles used to say.

"Will you allow Mary to help?" Caesar asked.

"If Caesar wishes," Koba muttered sullenly.

"Thank you, Koba," Caesar signed gently, briefly placing one hand on Koba's shoulder. He took it away quickly, though. Unlike most of the apes, Koba still did not welcome touches from anyone other than his daughter.

"Yes, Caesar," Koba said reluctantly. "They … they stan in village?" he added hopefully. "Human woman will not leave village with Mary?"

Caesar nodded his agreement. That was not an unreasonable request to make at all, especially for Koba.

The ape Leader let it, and Koba, go at that. Koba's thin patience had already been tested, and Caesar felt no reason to test it even further. Still, he felt very uneasy. It was not that he thought that Koba was lying to him because he did not think that. But he did feel that Koba was not telling him the whole truth about his encounter with Pope and Karin.

Well, with her living with us now, no matter how temporary it might be, it will come out sooner or later, Caesar fretted.

Sighing, he went towards the Healer's huts. He looked in quickly on Karin to find her still unconscious and surrounded by Cornelia and her most trusted attendants, including, he was relieved to see, young Mary.

Leaving the others, Cornelia came to him. Caesar quickly embraced his wife.

"Oh, Caesar! The poor thing, She's so thin, Caesar. She needs food. And we had a time separating them," Cornelia signed to her husband.

"Well, she's in a strange place with strange people. And she is very afraid of apes, Cornelia, and—" he started to try and excuse the human woman's behavior.

Cornelia only gave a gentle laugh.

"No no, not her, Caesar. It was Maurice," Cornelia corrected him with a faint smile. "I finally had to have Luca come and pry Maurice's hand away from hers. And neither of them woke up."

"I might have known," Caesar signed with resignation.

He heaved a sigh. That news was no surprise. When Maurice got his mind on something, he might occasionally, though not for very long, be diverted. But, when he got his heart fixed on something, there was absolutely no changing things, not even by Caesar's commands.

"Don't worry. We can take care of her, Caesar," Cornelia signed to her husband. "Maybe she'll find ape females less frightening to be with at first."

He felt that Cornelia might have a good point, and since he had no better plan for what to do with Karin, Caesar left things in Cornelia's very capable hands.

Nodding at his wife, he motioned for Mary to come to him.

"Yes, Uncle Caesar?" the young ape girl said, rushing to Caesar's side.

The ape leader put his arm around the girl and gazed down at her fondly. In many ways, this child was very much like the daughter he and Cornelia did not have.

"I have a very important job for you, Mary. I want you to stay with the human woman," Caesar signed to her. "She won't know much sign yet, I think, so-"

"And you want me to say to her what the others sign?" Mary asked eagerly. "And sign to the others what she says back to them?"

Caesar nodded, grinning down at the exuberant girl. Mary would seize upon any opportunity to talk, and if there was no opportunity at hand, she'd make up one herself.

At first, Mary looked very excited. Caesar was trusting her with an important new job! Then, Caesar watched as her expression slowly darkened, and she looked worried.

"But Papa. He won't-" she began, but Caesar patted her head reassuringly.

"I've already told your Father," he signed. "He is not overjoyed about it, but it's okay."

"Yes, Caesar," Mary said out loud, hugging her Uncle. "I'll take care of the human woman. Is this Uncle Maurice's female?"

Caesar nodded. Privately, he wondered if Mary's automatic assumption should please or worry him a lot more than it did.

"Is Uncle Maurice alright?" Mary asked, one tear coming in to her eye. "Sparrow wouldn't let us in to see him yet."

"That's what I am going to see" Caesar told the girl. "But I'm sure he will be fine. He's a tough old Orangutan, Mary.

"Okay," Mary sighed. But then, she brightened visibly.

"I'll do good, Uncle," she promised. "I'll make you proud of me."

Mary threw her arms around her Uncle one more time and hugged him, then she sped back to where Cornelia and the older females were now fussing tenderly over the unconscious human woman.

Caesar watched her go with a soft smile. _Such a sweet gentle child,_ he thought. _She will make Ash, uh, some lucky male a very loving wife one day soon._ He was also relieved that the main job of sorting out her potential suitors was not primarily his, but he did not envy Koba's position. Or, for that matter, the position of the poor suitors.

Pushing the thoughts of the hordes of suitors Koba must deal with any day now out of his mind, Caesar went to look in on his dearest and oldest friend.

* * *

Very Quiet hoots, soft panting and extremely gentle hands … this was the first thing Karin was dimly aware of as she started to float back to consciousness.

 _I fell asleep in the Zoo? She thought hazily. How in the world did I fall asleep in the Zoo?_

When she finally came fully awake sometime later, the first thing she noticed was her head. It did not hurt very much, and it felt wrong, about five or ten pounds lighter. Forcing one eye open, Karin automatically looked around for either a makeup table or a mirror and froze in terror. She was not in a beauty parlor or dressing room, and it was not her wardrobe or makeup people in front of her. Instead, what she saw sitting a few feet in front of her were several apes in a semicircle, quietly signing to each other. They were smaller, for the most part, than the Apes like Maurice that Karin was used to seeing. Many wore beads or feathers or both in their fur. She did not know why, but she automatically felt that these were all females.

Her nervous eye focused on the most beautiful among them. This pretty she ape Ape sat in the exact center of the semicircle, a crown of flowers on her head and her arm wrapped round another much smaller and slighter looking Ape with blond hair that fell down her back in soft thick waves. They did not look much alike, but Karin wondered if the little one was her daughter. And, the way the other apes were paying so much attention to the one in the center, that combined with the crown on her head, made Karin think that she knew who this must be. If she were right, and Maurice's descriptions were spot on, Karin thought she even knew this apes' name.

Inwardly trembling from head to foot but determined to put as good a face on it as possible, the frightened woman drew in a slow breath, sat up, and mustered up her courage to speak to the Ape in the center of the gathering.

"Uh, excuse me, but are you Cornelia?" she asked timidly.

The apes, all but Cornelia and Mary, gave a start. They must not have realized she was fully awake.

Still holding the little blond apes' hand, the crowned female slipped forward to sit directly in front of Karin. Karin watched her let go of the child and begin to sign, then the little blond Ape spoke in a light and clear voice, obviously translating for the Queen.

Karin blinked in surprise. Talking apes did not startle her anymore, not with she and Maurice having spoken much over the last several nights. But she was amazed at how human the Ape child sounded. But then she had gotten used to Maurice's deep rumble of a voice and assumed this was the difference that had struck her so profoundly.

"She says yes, I am Cornelia. How do you know my name?" the little blond ape said.

"Uh, Maurice told me," Karin said shyly, watching the Ape queen in open fascination. "He told me about you, and about your husband, Caesar."

Cornelia smiled. Karin thought she looked pleased.

"Maurice … told me … your name is Karin?" the Ape queen asked out loud, her speech very halting but absolutely understandable.

Karin nodded. So, that was what Maurice was so hesitant to tell her last night, that he'd been talking about her with his Queen and his King, too. That explained a whole lot. She suddenly realized that was how Caesar knew who she was right away without a lengthy explanation, and why he seemed to accept her story and pleas for help without protest.

The little blond ape at Cornelia's side pouted, and Karin gave the child at the Ape Queen's side a gentle smile of encouragement. The little one was clearly disappointed by the fact of Cornelia's having spoken out loud, and her not getting to translate.

Cornelia gently nudged the child forward.

"This … is Mary," the Ape Queen introduced the young Ape girl. "She will … help you … speak with us … when I or Caesar or Maurice are not around."

Karin slowly held out her hand to the young Ape girl. The child hesitated, but Cornelia gave her another gentle nudge. The child took the offered hand and smiled shyly at her. Then, she began to gently examine Karin's hand, fascinated.

"Hello," Mary said softly.

Karin gazed at the child in wonder.

"Thank you," Karin said to Cornelia. "And, thank you too, Mary. You must be a very good speaker."

A gentle sound of soft panting laughter echoed around the small hut. Karin looked confused, and the little ape girl blushed, her muzzle turning a bright pink.

"You do not know … how … unusual … it is for Mary to be so quiet," Cornelia explained haltingly. "Most Apes … prefer to sign … not speak. But our Mary is the opposite. You'll find that out when she gets a little … less shy around you."

Mary blushed even more.

Cornelia turned to the female directly on her right. She proceeded to introduce Karin to Tinker, who was Rocket, the hairless chimp's, wife, and the other females in the room. Karin could feel all the apes looking at her. Their gazes were certainly not hostile, cautious and curious if anything. But even though there weren't many, it was still a larger crowd than Karin had been used to dealing with in years. Just their presence was making her nervous.

Karin brushed some hair out of her face. Then, her eyes widening in amazement, she deliberately ran her fingers through her hair. Not having bothered much with it for years, she'd forgotten how long and soft it was supposed to be.

She wondered which one of the Apes had worked such a miracle on her hair. She had not felt so much as a small tug or sharp pull, whomever did it.

Seeing her fiddling with her hair, the Ape called Tinker signed something to her.

"She wants to know if you like it, your hair?" Mary translated.

Karin grinned gratefully at Tinker.

"Was it you?"

Tinker nodded.

"Oh, thank you," Karin told her sincerely. "I'm … I am sorry it was such a disaster. I didn't know I'd be meeting company today."

Tinker simply shrugged as if it were nothing. Still, Karin thought that the ape seemed very pleased by her reactions.

Karin turned again to Cornelia.

"I—I'm sorry, Cornelia. Thank you all so much for taking care of me. And, I really don't mean to be rude or ungrateful, but please, can you tell me where Maurice is," she asked.

Even more gentle laughter sounded all around her again, and Cornelia and Tinker exchanged a quick flurry of signs between themselves that Karin had no hope of understanding.

"Cornelia said, see, I win. Tinker said no, it was a tie, and Cornelia said that no, it was not," Mary translated.

Karin looked blankly at the child, and finally Mary laughed a little, and seemed to relax. In fact, all the women in the hut seemed to relax more, which made Karin also feel less tense.

"Aunt Cornelia and Aunt Tinker had a bet of how long it would take you to wake up and ask about Uncle Maurice," Mary explained.

Karin took one moment to gape in awe at Rocket's and Caesar's wives, then she too began to laugh. Soon, all the females in the hut were laughing and talking animatedly.

* * *

The women were all starting to get along very well, and things were fine. Until, anxious to go and see Maurice, Karin got slowly to her feet. She had tons of little aches and pains from bruises and scratches that she must have picked up while barreling through the woods on her desperate rescue mission, but she ignored them. After steadying herself for a second with Cornelia's and Mary's gentle help, she stuck her head out of the vine-covered entrance of the hut. What looked to her like hundreds of Apes were just milling around out there, and all their eyes immediately fixed on Karin's exposed head.

Karin gave a soft cry of distress, and immediately shrank back in to the hut. She cowered against one wall while Mary moved quickly to try and comfort her, and Cornelia and her other attendants stepped outside. From the sounds, Karin assumed that the Ape Queen immediately started taking charge, sending most of the milling apes back to their own normal activities.

"We can go out now," Mary said as Cornelia and another chimp stuck their heads back in the door, signed something to the child, then left again. "They're gone. And Sparrow says Uncle Maurice is awake and asking for you. He's just next door."

He's just next door. Karin smiled, letting out a relief breath that was almost a sob, thinking that was the best things she had heard since she woke up. And those were probably the only few words that would have gotten Karin out of the hut at that time.

She cautiously approached the entrance again and peaked out through the parted vines. Only one ape was in sight, and his back was to her. He stood at a great distance away, but Karin thought there was something more than a little menacing about that stiff-backed Ape, but she ignored it. She would ignore just about anything to get to see Maurice.

Mary pointed to the left.

"Straight to your left. Just go on in there. I need to go and talk with Papa, but I'll be back."

Papa?

Karin watched as Mary ran lightly to the menacing Ape. She noticed the other's posture visibly relaxing when Mary came up and put her hand on his shoulder. The stiff-backed ape immediately put one arm about the child and drew her close. Was that really the child's Father? Then she couldn't be Cornelia's daughter, could she? Cornelia was married to Caesar. Or, were the Apes marriages open ones? Or was that just allowed for the King and Queen?

Oh, boy! I've got a lot to learn about these people and their relationships, Karin thought as she hurried in to the doorway on her left.

"Maurice! … Oh, hello, Caesar," Karin stammered, seeing the Ape King at Maurice's bedside and coming to a sudden skidding halt. She swallowed nervously. The ape king looked even more intimidating in the daylight, and it was only her sheer desperation to see and speak with Maurice that made Karin able to not automatically shrink away.

"I-I'm sorry, Caesar. I'll come back later," Karin stammered, starting to back slowly out of the door.

"No, no, you stay, please," Caesar said softly, getting up and stretching.

Karin peered around Caesar to see Maurice starting to sit up. He visibly winced in pain, and Caesar swung around to fix him with a baleful glare. Silently, the ape leader pointed to the bed, and reluctantly, the Orangutan lay back down again.

"Try … not to let him get up," Caesar added with a stern look at his orangutan friend. "Sparrow says his ribs are badly bruised, and she wants him to stay in bed for at least three or four days."

"I'll be back later, Maurice. Mary will be nearby. Just call her if you need anything," Caesar added aside to Karin as he left them alone.

With Caesar gone, Karin visibly relaxed. Then her and Maurice's eyes immediately locked on one another. Wasting no time, she moved quickly to the orangutan's side, and gazed at him, her tense expression immediately dissolving in to something far softer, and frankly amazed. It was the first time they had seen one another in something other than twilight or dim battery light or near darkness. He looked even more huge and splendid and orange to her than she first thought, and his eyes were even kinder. He returned her gaze with just as much gentle amazement, and was it awe? His tender expression brought a faint blush to her cheeks.

"Are you alright?" both she and Maurice asked one another at the same time.

They both laughed, and again Maurice tried to sit up. She put one hand firmly on his shoulder and tried to hold him down.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not gonna get in trouble with Caesar or that Chimp healer. You stay right where you are!"

"You are not my wife. I don't have to do what you say," Maurice replied, deliberately throwing her own words from earlier that night back at her with a teasing grin.

Karin took a slow deep breath.

"Okay then," she said. "If that's how you want to play this, have it your own way.

Suddenly releasing him, she stood up and turned her back on him.

"Where are you going?" Maurice exclaimed, sounding honestly startled.

"You don't want to listen to me? That's fine. I'm not gonna argue with you. I'll go and see if I can't find King Kong and bring him back here and have him hold you down, then.

She only took half a step away before feeling a gentle hand and long fingers wrap around the end of her hair. She could have easily freed herself, but waited, instead, letting the orangutan wrap just a bit of it through his fingers

"Oh, please don't," Maurice said, sounding far too pathetic and innocent for Karin to completely trust. "Luca takes those orders way too seriously, sometimes."

Karin hesitated, pretending to deeply consider His pleas. Then, she reached back, slowly untangled his fingers from her hair before turning back around to face him.

"If you'll come and sit and stay with me, I promise to behave," Maurice told her quietly. "Just please don't go and get Luca."

Karin tried to stay hard and stern, but she smiled despite herself.

"Well, I guess one huge heavy object holding you down for one night is enough, huh."

With a sigh, Karin gave in. She took his hand firmly in hers and perched carefully on the side of his bed … or nest … or whatever the apes called it. It looked like a combination of the two to her.

Maurice gently stroked her hand and rumbled softly at her.

"And don't you give me any of your orangutan sweet talk," she warned him with a faint smile.

"Tell me, is it true? Did you … did you really charge through the forest … and throw yourself at the gorilla guard, screaming Caesar's name? The orangutan sounded in total awe. "Caesar says the story about that is already going around the village."

"Oh, lord," Karin groaned. "Please tell me your kidding?"

Maurice slowly shook his head.

She gave him a hard and accusing look.

"Don't blame me, I didn't start the story going around," Maurice protested. "Talk with Rocket, or more likely, Luca's other gorillas who rode with you."

"OH, man! That's all I need! Stories told about me!" Karin groaned.

"Well, I don't know about the throwing myself part," Karin went on to tell him truthfully. "It felt more like I tripped and fell and slammed in to one of them, King Kong, I think. A great big silver-back sun of a gun, who stared at me as if he questioned his own sanity or something. But, yeah, I was calling for Caesar … just a little bit."

"King Kong?" Maurice chuckled at the reference to his old friend, Luca. He had seen bits and pieces of that human film, and though Karin could not know it yet, there were a few parallels between the human's pretend ape and Luca. He would die before admitting it to anyone, but Maurice knew that Luca held a soft spot for the children and females.

"And it's not funny, Maurice!" she exclaimed, hearing Maurice rumbling softly with laughter.

Karin was just starting to realize the danger she might have been in, and how horribly different things could have turned out.

"I—I could have really gotten myself killed, couldn't I, coming at them out of the dark like that?"

"We aren't savages. We don't make a habit of killing anyone in distress, let alone lone unarmed females," Maurice told her firmly.

"And that's a real nice way of saying, maybe, right?" Karin persisted.

"Well, I suppose accidents can always happen," Maurice said thoughtfully.

"Oh, great," Karin muttered unhappily. "So much for keeping a low profile while I'm here."

"I don't know how to tell you this, Karin, but being that you are the only human in our village—" Maurice began.

"I know, I know!" Karin groaned. "Well, at least Caesar seems to have assigned me a sweet little buddy to show me around."

"Little blond?" Maurice asked.

Karin nodded.

"Ah, that is our little Mary," Maurice looked very pleased. "Mary is the best speaker we have here, aside from Caesar and Koba."

"Koba?" Karin asked.

"Mary's Father. Koba is … well … He is-"

"Not at all happy that I'm here," Karin finished his sentence, remembering the stiff-backed ape Mary had run to, calling him Papa. "I saw Mary talking to him. I didn't need to see his face to know how he feels about humans. You live with some real interesting people, Maurice."

Karin eyed the bed-ridden orangutan with a worried frown.

"I'm sure your Healer's already done it, but do you mind if I take a look for myself?" she asked him finally.

The old Orangutan nodded, looking resigned.

Karin perched on the edge of the nest and began to gently examine Maurice for herself. Though he tried to hide it, she felt his winces as her hands traveled lightly over his chest and down his sides. But she became truly alarmed when she bent and gently laid her head against his chest, and for a second, he actually seemed to stopped breathing

"Maurice!" she cried.

The big ape jumped, taking in an involuntary deep breath, wincing visibly this time.

"Dammit, you scared me! Why'd you do that? I'll go get your Healer," Karin gasped.

She started to jump up, but Maurice reached out and grasped her hand, stopping her. Something in his touch and his look made her blush furiously and feel like she'd overreacted, not that it was strange for her to do so.

"are you having trouble breathing, Maurice?" She asked in a tone that brooked absolutely no nonsense. "And you tell me the truth!"

The orangutan shook his great head.

Karin did not entirely believe him, but she settled again on the edge of the nest with a sigh. Something about that whole thing still made her feel as if she were missing something important about his reaction, something that should be obvious, but she put it out of her mind for now.

Two shadows fell across the door. In came Mary, with the ape that Karin thought was the Healer chimp who had come with her and Caesar to save Maurice. They came to Maurice's bedside.

"Karin, this is Sparrow," Mary formally introduced the female chimpanzee. "She's our Healer."

"It's very nice to meet you, Sparrow," Karin offered her hand. The chimp hesitated for just a fraction of a second, then gently took the woman's hand in her own. "You are the person I want to talk to, then," Karin added immediately.

As Mary signed her words to Sparrow, Maurice gave a long-resigned grumble, which Karin and Sparrow both completely ignored. The two females, with Mary as translator, began an intense conversation about the orangutan, which lasted for several minutes before Maurice interrupted by sharply tapping the side of the bed and giving a far more insistent grumble that could not be ignored by anyone.

"Maurice says the tree did not fall on his eyes or ears," Mary said, hiding an obvious giggle.

Karin squeezed Maurice's hand, but the bulk of her attention was still on Sparrow.

"Has he always been like this?" Karin asked Sparrow.

"Since I've known him, and you haven't seen the worst of it yet," Mary translated Sparrow's answer.

"Well, let's talk over here, then," Karin offered, pointing to a far corner of the room.

Sparrow nodded and followed her, but Mary lingered for a second at Maurice's side.

'You are really enjoying yourself, aren't you, Mary?" Maurice signed to the girl.

"Yes, Uncle, I am," the child agreed happily, then she made as if to go join Karin and Sparrow, but Maurice stopped her with a soft touch on her arm.

"When it comes time for you to show Karin around the village, show her my home first," he told the girl.

Mary beamed at him.

"Of course, Uncle, guess she will be spending time there a lot, won't she?" the girl stated matter-of-factly.

Before Maurice could think of a response, the child gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek then she left him to tend to the duties Caesar had assigned her. Maurice turned painfully on one side to peer over at the chattering females, and knew for the next few days, he was really in for it with those three ganging up on him.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

Hi everyone,  
Told you guys there would be more, but I bet you didn't believe me. LOL! I know it's been forever and a day since fresh updates. Many thanks to anyone who has been reading, and is still reading. :) Your persistence,and your great patience, is very appreciated. And welcome to any new readers. Much more to come, folks, and I will try to make updates a bit more frequent.


	14. Chapter 14Chapter 14

"Will you please stop picking at that? Leave it alone, Maurice!" Karin demanded sometime later.

It had taken a little time, but with Mary's translations of Karin's advice and Sparrow's and some gorilla's help, they now had the orangutan's badly bruised ribs wrapped nice and tight with brilliantly improvised bandages. Only problem was that their patient did not care at all for being bound up in that manner.

"It is tight," Maurice complained.

"It's supposed to be snug, Maurice," Karin explained with exaggerated patience for the hundredth time. "It will speed your healing; will you trust me on this!"

"You know about ribs?" Maurice remarked, twisting and trying to get comfortable. "How?"

"Because I spent most of my childhood salving bruises, splinting sprains and binding up everyone's ribs, my older brother's, my Dads and his friends, and even my Mom's after her Saturday night trips to the bars," she told him. "Consider yourself lucky," she added. "If I had the tape with me from home, we'd also have to shave off much of those long lovely locks of yours."

"What?" Maurice yelped, then instantly wished he had not.

"Medical tape sticks badly enough in human hair," Karin explained. "Wanna make a 6-foot 6 grown man cry, wrap him up like you are now, then rip that off his chest and back. In your pelt, it would be a nightmare."

Maurice winced in sympathy.

"So, you've done this much to males in your family, have you?" the orangutan asked somewhat apprehensively as he made another grab for his bandage bindings that Karin quickly thwarted by firmly grasping both his hands in both of her own. He made as if to lift one foot, and she glared fiercely at him before placing one of her legs over his ankles.

"You could say that," Karin answered sweetly. "My brothers especially learned to be very nice to me on those occasions."

"I bet they did, indeed," the old orangutan grumbled.

"You will need to keep a firm hand on him" Sparrow had warned Karin through Mary's translations.

"And here I didn't believe Sparrow when she warned me what a horrible patient you could be, sometimes," Karin sighed. "Now I'm gonna have to apologize to her for that, thanks."

"Then again, maybe I should be flattered you're making all this fuss," Karin continued, her mouth twitching as she tried to suppress a grin.

Maurice stopped struggling against his bandages and just looked at her blankly.

"Well, never in my whole life have I had any guy go to all this trouble just to get me to hold his hands," she stated.

Maurice gaped at her for one moment, then he chuckled in spite of himself.

"You have found me out," he confessed.

"Oh, don't I wish," Karin sighed, and they both laughed.

* * *

Maurice was finally sleeping.

Karin sat beside him on the nest, her hand softly stroking his forehead before coming to rest lightly on the old orangutan's cheek. She considered grabbing a quick cat nap herself. But she knew if she did, she would have even more trouble sleeping that night. She never did sleep well in a strange place for the first few days, and this was one of the strangest places the woman had ever found herself in her whole life.

Karin yawned widely. Still in spite of her resolve, she did start to doze a bit. It was so quiet, this hut had obviously been specifically positioned to not be in the heart and bustle and noise of the main village, but still be easily accessible to the apes besides. Good quiet place for the sick or injured to rest, but not good for a physically and mentally exhausted human woman who was trying to keep herself awake.

Drawing her knees up, and wrapping one arm about them, Karin let her head fall forward till it lay on her arm, and she began to drift. But something brought her out of her light doze, a prickling feeling along her spine, some primitive instinct that still existed even in human beings that alerted you to watchful eyes and/or possible danger. Her head came up, she glanced aside, and gave a start of surprise. She was no longer alone with Maurice. Standing next to the bed was a badly scarred one-eyed ape and the way he was glaring at Karin's hand on Maurice's cheek gave her an immediate impression that he either wanted to rip it off or maybe bite it off, whichever got it away from an ape face the fastest.

 _Uh-oh, of all the times for Mary or anyone else not to be here_ , Karin thought. This ape did not look like he was much for small talk or polite introductions.

The woman resisted the urge of self-preservation by silently refusing to bow to this apes' unspoken wish that she goes away. She would not be driven away from Maurice by this apes' hate-filled stare. In fact, she held her position next to her orangutan friend stubbornly, though she forced her body to stay loose and relaxed, at least on the outside.

But then the ape shifted his weight in just the right way, the light falling just right across his mangled features, and Karin gasped, this time in pure recognition.

"You?" she whispered, peering intently at the one-eyed ape. "I … I know you, don't I?"

But even before she had begun to speak, the ape was turning away as if he had not heard her or simply did not care to hear her. He started stalking towards the door.

"Hey, wait," Karin called out in a stage whisper, trying not to awaken Maurice. "Wait, please? I want to talk with you?"

The ape only quickened his stride, and Karin did what she almost immediately recognized as one of the worst things she had ever done. Taking her hand away from Maurice's cheek, she slid out of the nest, and started after the scarred ape. She had only gone a few yards from the Healer's hut before the ape suddenly rounded on her, fixing his one good baleful eye on her, his teeth bared, almost openly snarling, but not quite.

 _OH damn, now you've done it!_ Karin told herself.

She did not fight self-preservation this time. Karin froze. And, the scarred ape also froze. She did not know how long they stood that way, but a soft urgent hoot from above made them both jumped. A thick curtain of long silky blond hair flew in front of Karin's face as a tiny figure dropped deftly from somewhere directly overhead to land squarely between herself and the one-eyed ape.

Looking up, she noticed for the first time that there weren't just well-worn paths on the ground, but there were timbers overhead for the ape's use.

 _Amazing!_ She marveled to herself.

"Papa?" Mary exclaimed to the one-eyed Ape. "What are you doing?"

Karin stood stock still as the little girl and the one-eyed ape exchanged a rapid flurry of signs before the older ape turned his back on them and knuckled away. She was relieved, but she also watched him go with a sad forlorn expression.

"Are you alright?" Mary asked, taking her hand and attempting to tug her back to the hut.

Badly shaken by the incident, but not wanting to frighten the child, Karin collected herself and nodded.

"Tell your Father, I'm sorry," she told Mary as they stepped back in to where Maurice rested.

"Why did you run after him like that?" Mary asked in hushed tones, sounding more curious then accusatory.

 _So, she saw that, too,_ Karin thought.

"I … I know that was a dumb thing to do," Karin admitted sheepishly. "But I swear I didn't mean any harm. I only wanted to thank him," she finished softly.

"Thank him?" Mary echoed disbelievingly. "Thank him for what?"

"For saving my life," she told the little girl, and smiled at the incredulous and astonished look on the child's face.

Karin could see that Mary was, just like any human child would be, absolutely brimming with questions. But the little ape girl and human woman both looked aside then at the still sleeping orangutan, and they fell silent for a while, not wanting to risk disturbing him. Gently pulling away from Mary, Karin quickly crossed to the healing nest, and eased herself to a sitting position back down next to Maurice. The old Orangutan stirred a little, and grumbled in his sleep, but he grew quieter as Karin touched his hand and murmured softly to him. Again, even in his sleep, Maurice clasped at her hand, and she sighed, giving in, not trying to resist his grip but entwining her fingers in his until he relaxed again.

Then, she saw Mary's eyes on them both. The child looked far more thoughtful then any child her age should look, like she knew things she absolutely should not know.

"Uncle Luca had to pry you two apart," Mary whispered. The child was grinning a little. "Did you know that?"

Karin blinked.

"No, I don't remember a thing," she told Mary truthfully. "But I'll take your word for it."

"Wasn't you, it was Uncle Maurice," Mary explained. "He really did not want to let you go." The child paused then went on. "Just like he is doing now."

Karin wondered if Mary were trying to work herself up in to asking something, and she had more than half an idea what that something might be, but what she did not know was what answer she might give to this bright, friendly and sweet natured child.

 _I don't even know what to tell myself_ , Karin admitted privately.

But if Mary had been trying to get up her nerve, she seemed to change her mind, or Karin had been wrong about her intent all along, much to Karin's great relief.

"I was coming to ask if you wanted to come and see Uncle Maurice's home, like he wanted me to show you, but looks like he's got other ideas," Mary murmured with a smile.

Karin warmly returned the girls smile.

"He'll be able to show it to me himself the way we're going here," she agreed.

Karin was torn. However. For the most part, she truly did not mind spending all her time sticking close to Maurice's side, if that was what he wanted. She did not mind it one bit. She was even willing to admit, to herself, that it was not only because she felt safest that way. But there was also a large part of her just dying to see the rest of the village, wanting desperately to see what the apes had created for themselves in the last few years since they gained their freedom.

And of course, she really did want to see Maurice's home, and felt so deeply touched that he had immediately asked Mary to take her there.

Carefully, Karin began easing her hand out of Maurice's grip. It was not a harsh grip by any means, she just did not want to wake him up. It took a while, but finally she had reclaimed her hand, and Maurice still slept peacefully so far.

"So, ready to give me the fifty-cent tour?" she asked the child brightly.

"… fifty cent tour?" Mary echoed blankly.

 _So, she doesn't know all English. Mind your language then,_ Karin told herself, giving the child a fond smile.

"To show me around a little bit," Karin explained.

"Oh!" Mary's face lit up, clearly ecstatic that she had learned a new human phrase.

 _Definitely watch your language,_ Karin told herself much more sternly as they started to leave the hut. _This child is a sponge for language … like Lisa used to be. But_ she hesitated just outside the door.

"Um, maybe I shouldn't leave him alone," she said uncertainly. "He'll wonder where I am."

"That's okay," Mary reassured her.

The ape child made a soft hooting sound, and then there was an elderly gorilla female, seeming to Karin to appear out of nowhere. Had she been outside the hut all this time as a guard or an attendant of some sort.

Karin was a little proud of herself that she did not jump when the older ape appeared.

"Hi, Kira, will you please watch over Uncle Maurice while we are gone?" Mary asked the gorilla, signing as she spoke. Karin wondered if the child were doing that for her benefit or if this was how she always communicated, with both sign and speech simultaneously. Since it did not seem to strike the gorilla female as something odd, Karin concluded this was just Mary being Mary.

"Oh, Kira, this is Karin … They both start with K, right?" Mary asked excited.

Karin and the elderly gorilla nodded their heads in unison, and Mary beamed again.

As she made to pass them, Kira reached down and gently ruffled Mary's hair, earning a stern look from the child. The old gorilla woman shared a grin with Karin as she passed by.

"Don't let him get out of bed or undo his bandages," Mary and Karin both called softly as Kira disappeared inside the hut.

The gorilla gave a grunt that sounded suspiciously to Karin like a laugh.

"Can she handle him?" Karin fretted

"Kira, oh sure," Mary said casually, not concerned at all. "Old Kira can even handle my Papa and Uncle Luca, when she wants to. She and her twin sister Sonya are Luca's oldest aunts. Sonya's a little shyer. I'll try and introduce you to her later."

"Come on," Mary urged excitedly. "I'll take you to Uncle Maurice's home,"

* * *

Feeling a warm flood of affection for this strange little ape girl, Karin followed the child as she scampered quickly ahead. As they moved deeper in to the heart of the village, she became more and more aware of the deliberate stare of apes, and of some apes obviously stopping what they were doing to turn and watch her go by.

 _Is this how they felt being caged on display in our zoos? It really sucks!_ Karin wondered, careful not to get so bemused and distracted that she let Mary out of her sight.

Mary called and waved and smiled to some of the apes, and for the most part, the apes returned her friendly greeting, most of them but not all, Karin noticed.

And, then there were the children.

It started out with one, then there was two, then ten, then … What looked to Karin like hundreds, though she figured she was exaggerating the number, of little ape children were starting to tag along behind her and Mary. Little Chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans all clustered together in a large straggling group, gently jostling each other as if to get a better view of the strange creature that was now walking among them. Karin stopped to look back at them, and while many shied away immediately from her gentle bemused gaze, many more came eagerly forward, and clustered around her, staying just out of her reach, hooting and panting with curious excitement.

Mary came back and stood beside Karin, and the woman watched with gentle amusement as many of the little ones began to sign emphatically to the ape girl. The only signs Karin thought she understood was Maurice.

"This is Karin" Mary said out loud, speaking very slowly and clearly and signing just as carefully. "Karin," Mary repeated the word and the sign.

Immediately, the little group began to sign Karin over and over again, pointing excitedly to her each time.

"Hi kids," Karin said softly. "Nice to meet you all."

At the sound of her voice, the children gave a start, and grew very still, but this did not last long. One little chimpanzee girl signed something, and Mary shot the girl a stern look.

"Yes, _she talks,_ Jewel," Mary said sternly.

This, coupled with many in the little group now glaring at her, caused the little chimp called Jewel to bow her head, thoroughly chastised. Karin felt sorry for her even though she had a good guess what the child had asked Mary. "It really talks?"

"Some people say I talk too much sometimes, Jewel," Karin deliberately but gently addressed the scolded little ape girl.

The girl seemed at first taken aback by Karin speaking directly to her. But then her head popped up and she grinned and signed something that again Karin only understood as something something Mary.

"So does Mary," her guide/chaperone reluctantly translated, looking a little sheepish.

Karin grinned at her, and her mood immediately improved.

"These are most of Uncle Maurice's students," Mary explained. "Well, we are all Maurice's students, even many of the grown-ups. He had to teach many of them sign, too."

 _Quite a task, teaching a whole colony, more or less, language_ , Karin thought, finding yet another reason to admire Maurice; she did not need more reasons, but they were nice to have, nevertheless. _Only Maurice would have such patients._

After a while, once some of the new had worn off a bit, once they assured themselves that she was not 8 feet tall with three heads and glowing eyes; this was actually what one gorilla child insisted his Moher told him human beings were like, many of the children drifted off to other things, and she and Mary set off yet again to Maurice's home

* * *

"It's amazing," Karin murmured sometime later as she stood, turning in slow circles to take in Maurice's home. "Did he do all this himself?"

"Most of it, I think," Mary replied, barely taking notice of the surroundings. It was nothing new or remarkable to her.

Karin ran one hand lovingly over a large low set table almost in the exact center of the room. She wondered how Maurice had sanded it to make it so smooth. As she bent closer to examine it, she noticed that around its edges were carved names, many names.

"Mary … what's this?" she asked the little ape girl.

Mary came forward to se what she was pointing at. The little ape girl looked perplexed for a second, then she beamed, understanding flooding her face at last.

"It's all our names!" she exclaimed' "Look, see, here's mine … Mary of Koba. And there is Blue eyes— ""

Of Caesar and Cornelia," Karin said in unison with the child. "And Ash of Tinker and Rocket. Boys? "Friends of yours?"

"Blue Eyes is my brother," Mary announced proudly.

Karin smiled fondly. The child might not have been born of Cornelia, but she obviously considered the ape queen to be her Mother.

"And Ash?" Karin gently persisted.

"He is a good friend," the girl said.

Karin saw her muzzle turn a little pink, though.

"I never knew he'd carved all our names in his table," Mary marveled, smoothly changing the subject.

Karin let her, feeling that she did not know the child long enough to tease her much about boys.

"This ones' new. I don't know this one, though," Mary went on, still studying the vast list of carved names. "Lisa? Who is Lisa?"

The child frowned, trying to place the name.

Karin caught her breath, and swallowed hard, feeling tears stinging her eyes.

"You're sure there's no ape here by that name?" she finally managed to ask the child.

"Yes … What's wrong?" Mary asked.

Karin leaned heavily against the edge of the table. Mary retrieved several thick fur covered cushions and shoved them behind her, clearly afraid she might fall. Karin sank gratefully down on the cushions and ran one tired hand through her now well-groomed hair and over her eyes.

"You know who Lisa is?" Mary asked curiously, crouching down beside her and touching her hand.

Karin had to clear her throat a little before she could speak.

"Lisa is my daughter," Karin said quietly. "But she died long before I knew Maurice."

"Oh," Mary murmured sadly, and Karin could tell that stories about her daughter had also already begun to circulate.

Before the moment could get even more awkward for both Karin and Mary, a shadow fell across Maurice's door. Karin looked up and started to smile at the newcomer, another female chimp she thought, but something in Mary's stiffening posture and guarded look warned her to be careful here.

"OH, hello, Cedar," Mary said flatly, her signing seeming just as flat as her voice to Karin as she got to her feet. "this is Karin, and this is Cedar," the child added by way of introduction.

Karin also rose slowly to her feet, looking from Mary to the ape called Cedar, the only two things she was sure of was that she had not seen this ape in attendance to Cornelia, and that Mary quite obviously did not like her much. Still, she held out a hand in greeting to Cedar.

Cedar glanced dismissively at Karin and signed something rather tartly to the child, which caused Mary to frown deeply.

"We are here at Uncle Maurice's direct invitation, Cedar," Mary replied quietly. "Can you say the same thing?"

Karin stiffened as the adult female took one step closer to Mary. Cedar made a sign so obvious that even Karin could read its meaning. The older female ape was warning the child to stop speaking out loud, among other things. Mary, however, completely ignored her warnings, and Karin saw outrage at that flash very briefly behind the OTHER female's eyes. Carefully shifting her weight, Karin took a half step forward, ready to put herself between Mary and this disagreeable female ape if necessary. The female could be dismissive and/or disagreeable to Karin all she liked, and Karin would not mind one bit. But the woman would not just stand idly by and watch the older female ape browbeat any child, not for any reason.

"I am doing my duty given to me this morning by Uncle Caesar, Cedar," Mary explained, which at least partially explained some of Cedar's signs, but not all of them, Karin was certain of that. "If you need to speak with Uncle Maurice about something, he is at the Healer's huts with Aunt Kira."

Cedar's eyes flicked between Mary and Karin for a few seconds. Then, with a look to the child that could only be described as a mixture of scorn and complete condescension, in its purest form, Cedar reached down and gently cupped Mary's cheek and patted the ape girl's blonde head. The older ape hooted and signed something, but left, pant hooting with laughter, before Mary could make any response.

"What did she say?" Karin asked gently. As Mary was scowling and trying to smooth down the part of her hair Cedar had rumpled, Karin resisted the urge to either reach out and hug her or help her with her hair.

"Doesn't matter," Mary muttered, and Karin saw one tear in the corner of the child's eye. "Cedar's mean to a lot of people, not just me."

"There were plenty of mean girls, and even meaner grown up women, around when I was a little girl too, honey," Karin tried to comfort her.

 _Mary gave her a tired but brave smile, but Karin did not really feel her words had hit home._

 _I see,_ Karin thought grimly. _Poor little thing! I should go back, let her go play with her friends,_ Karin decided. _But what, if anything, should I say to Cornelia Caesar or even Maurice about this? Or, should I just skip them and tell her Papa?_

She knew it was a bit spiteful, but Karin could not help enjoying the image of an enraged Koba rushing after a rapidly retreating Cedar. With an effort, Karin tamped down her temporary spite by firmly reminding herself that Mary's scarred and very angry Papa was not likely to believe anything any human told him, anyway. He could not even stand to stay around and here her say a simple _thank you_.

Karin would have loved to stay and look around more or just sit back and rest a bit in Maurice's home, but feeling very bad for her child guide, she turned towards the doorway, and mustered a smile.

"Why don't we go back now, honey," she told Mary. "Maurice might be awake by now, you know."

'Okay," Mary sighed, her mood obviously subdued now.

Silently cursing Cedar all the way there, Karin and Mary returned to the Healers hut where Maurice rested. Neither of them said a word the entire time.

* * *

 ** _ ** _A/N:_** :!  
_**

 ** _A huge HI and thanks to all my lovely, wonderful and most important of all, patient readers! I hope an update so soon doesn't shock you all. It certainly did me, and I wrote it. LOL!_**

 ** _And many special thanks to those of you who either sent me reviews or PMs, etc. Keep 'em coming, folks! Any and all kinds of feedback are much appreciated._**


	15. Chapter 15

"Karin," Maurice muttered drowsily.

Feeling motion next to him, Maurice opened one eye, and sighed with disappointment. Instead of seeing Karin seated next to him, he looked in to the kind old face of Percy. Maurice felt safe in thinking that way because Percy was one of the very few orangutans in the village whose very age made Maurice feel positively young, just by comparison.

Percy tutted under his breath.

"Disgraceful, disgraceful," he signed sadly. "Under a fallen tree," Percy signed disparagingly with a heavy sigh. "Really, Maurice, getting trapped under a tree! You are bringing down the intelligence curve for all orangutans in this village, you know."

" Intelligence curve?" Maurice asked.

Percy shrugged.

"I don't really know what that means, it's just something I heard humans say, and it sounds grave enough. I assume it means you have embarrassed us all and/or are making us all look stupid."

"Oh," Maurice signed sheepishly.

Then, Percy began to rumble deep in his chest, deep rumbling chuckles, and grinned.

"I'm only teasing you, boy, well a little," the older orangutan huffed out his laughter. "Though even most of our smallest children, especially orangutans, know not to go tree climbing in the dark, don't they."

"It was not totally dark. I had a very bright flashlight," Maurice signed indignantly.

"You must have broken it then, or your female needs to teach you to use it better," was Percy's chortling response. "Where is she, by the way. I did not just come to see you. I had hoped to meet your female, who is brave enough to tear through the forest alone and throw herself in to gorilla guard arms in the middle of the night to save an ape."

Maurice gave Percy a questioning look.

"Well, that is the story the gorillas are telling all over the place," the other orangutan informed him. "They are totally impressed with your female, Maurice."

"Karin is not my female, and she is out with Mary touring my home, I hope, Maurice sighed.

Who knew what those two were actually doing?

Still snorting just, a bit with laughter, Percy patted Maurice's hand.

"Don't worry, she has no better guide or translator. Mary somehow knows human words none of the rest of us know."

"It is not Mary that concerns me," Maurice signed worriedly.

"Many of the gorillas, especially the younger males, are singing her praises left and right. The stories are rapidly spreading through the rest of the apes as well. She did save your life by risking her own, she has already apparently aided Sparrow in devising some new bandages, and she is also here with Caesar's blessing and direct invitation, and apparently is under Cornelia's direct protection as well. Under those circumstances, and with all that going for her, no ape would dare harm her, certainly not while she is in the village, Maurice."

"I wish I were as certain," Maurice fretted.

"He has probably already taken care of it, with no shortage of volunteers I am sure, but I'll speak with Luca, make sure he has someone watching out for her at all times," Percy offered.

Maurice gave his old friend a grateful smile.

"You are right, Luca probably already has seen to that, but thank you, Percy."

The older orangutan slowly got to his feet.

"Well, if I can't catch her here, maybe I can catch her out there. If that fails, ask Mary to bring her by my home. Phoebe wants to meet her as well."

Maurice was not so afraid for Karin to meet Percy and his wife and their friends. Percy and Phoebe were among a very small group of apes who, though they had adjusted quickly to their new lives and their new freedoms, still pined a bit for their long dead human caretakers. They made no great fuss among the apes about this; it was sort of a private club amongst them, including also chimpanzees and gorillas, one that Maurice suspected Caesar would like to join but felt he could not, given his position, Until very recently, it had been a point of view that Maurice had not at all understood, having seen much more of the worst side of humans and less of their best in his lifetime. But he was starting to understand, just a little, why they might feel this way. Karin was unknowingly teaching him this.

"I am surprise she has not come to scold me, herself," Maurice signed dryly, thinking back to Percy's wife.

"Oh, she really wanted to right away," Percy told him. "But I think I've talked her out of that, but with my wife, who can tell," Percy warned. "So, prepare yourself."

Maurice placed one hand on his side and groaned in anticipation. Phoebe's scolding could go on for days!

"Don't I know it," Percy signed, grinning. "Try and rest, dear friend. You are lucky! If it had been me, I'd have to change my name and flee the village in utter shame. She would never let me live it down. But then again, I know how to use a flashlight, properly," Percy teased.

Maurice frowned, but then he could not help but smile as Percy's expression had softened, as it always did, when the subject of his wife came up.

'I will come back later," Percy promised.

'I was afraid of that," Maurice sighed.

"Keep it up and I'll send Phoebe instead," Percy shot back.

Maurice gave him a bracing smile as Percy left the room.

* * *

The injured orangutan settled back in to the Healing nest, not at all realizing that his own expression looked very much like Percy's as he thought of Karin and her returning to him. Since he was starting to drift off again, he did not notice as Kira slid unobtrusively in to the room. The little old female gorilla stood in silence, gazing down at Maurice, a gentle knowing smile playing across her face, before she turned away and resumed her outside position.

 _If the look of him is anything to go by, I hope my nephew is not going to be too disappointed_ , Kira thought as she leaned against one wall.

* * *

She was back!

at the sight of her, the old orangutan smiled, not bothering to hide his relief very much when Mary finally returned Karin safe back to his side sometime later that day. At least, he assumed it was still the same day unless he had really slept heavy.

He trusted Mary implicitly, Of course, trusted the child with his own life and with Karin's and everyone else's as well, but his concern was for how some others might react. But it was not reasonable to expect to keep her at his side all the time, was it?

A little of his relief evaporated, however, as soon as they came in the door, and he got a good look at the two of them. No physical wounds, that was very good. But Mary seemed so somber and subdued, which was not the child's normal state of mind. She was normally almost the exact opposite of her dour and brooding Father. And Karin … While it was true, he had not known her for long, but the orangutan could tell that she was concealing something as well, some outrage or anger?

Immediately, Karin came and took up her place by his side, and Maurice took her hand without really having to think about it, then he beckoned the ape child to him, and gently touched her face with his free hand.

"Don't know what I'd have done without her," Karin praised the child.

Mary looked at the floor and blushed, making a dismissive sort of sound.

"Our little Mary sunshine is modest," Maurice rumbled fondly, making the child blush even more. I think we can give her a break, can we not?" Maurice implored aside to Karin.

To his relief, Karin was quick to catch on, and took up his train of thought immediately.

"Sure," she readily agreed, perhaps too readily for Maurice's comfort. "I promise I'll stay put, honey. I won't leave Maurice's side without you. Unless Cornelia or Caesar want me to go somewhere, of course. So why don't you take some time and go do, uh, whatever you normally do this time of day."

Mary eyed them both suspiciously for a moment, then she grinned impishly.

"Are you trying to get rid of me? Do you two want to be alone?" she asked bluntly.

Maurice gave a low rumble of laughter as Karin pressed her lips together to stifle her own sudden mirth. This was much more like Mary, and Maurice prayed it was a good sign.

"I'll second the child's question. Do we? Karin asked him teasingly.

Maurice heaved a huge fake put upon sigh, which he could see did not fool Mary, let alone Karin.

"Females," he groaned. "What is a por old injured orangutan to do?"

"Yes," he answered bluntly. "If you wouldn't mind, little one."

"Well, okay … but others might come by here, you know," Mary advised.

Thank you, dear, for your sage advice," Maurice told the child gravely.

Mary hooted with laughter, extracted one more promise from Karin to stay with Maurice and another promise from Maurice to stay in bed where he belonged, gave Maurice a quick kiss and Karin a quick hug, then flitted out the door with only one look back.

"she's a treasure, that child," Karin murmured fondly. "So, where's Kira?" she asked.

"I expect my torturer, our guard and attendant that is, has resumed her post just outside," Maurice replied. "Now, as wonderful as it is to see both you and Mary smiling again. What is wrong? He asked Karin stubbornly.

Karin opened her mouth, and he could tell that she was ready to deny everything.

"I saw how you both looked when you came back," Maurice stated flatly. "So, tell me, who did what?"

"You forgot the where, when and why?" Karin said.

Maurice remained unmoved, though, refusing to let her distract him, even a little bit.

"It really wasn't so bad, Maurice," Karin insisted.

The orangutan was still not convinced. He knew that Karin would probably say that even if she was carried in, bleeding.

"I mean it, it really wasn't so bad!" Karin insisted. "I had a lovely time with many of the children."

Maurice smiled, glad to hear it, and waited patiently. She would get around to it eventually, he knew.

"And, what do I have to do to talk you in to making me a table like the one you have at your place?" she asked.

"But you have lots of tables in your home," he said. "Brighter and shinier tables, ones made of glass, even."

"I know, but there all so … so … boring! Yours has that hand-made homey touch, most of mine were made in China and bought at Walmart."

"That matters? There is a difference?" Maurice asked, perplexed.

"Yes, a big one," Karin told him firmly.

"Well, if you say so," he agreed mildly. "Now, if you will answer my original question, I'll consider it," he countered, not giving up.

"OH, alright," Karin gave in, exasperated. "First, I met your friend, Koba."

Maurice groaned, but she held up a hand to stall him.

"No, it was not exactly the warmest of introductions, but never mind that. It's not the problem. At your home, I met a female chimp called Cedar."

This time, Maurice's groan sounded suspiciously more like a growl, and Karin gave him a startled look. She had only ever heard him make a sound like that once, and that had been when he thought someone was in Karin's house and bothering her.

"Maybe it's none of my business, but I think she's been giving Mary a hard time," Karin told Maurice bluntly.

"Yes, she was snide and cold and dismissive of me, and I couldn't really care less. I wish I could tell you exactly what she said to Mary, but Mary wouldn't translate it. But I know that fake sympathy pitying look," Karin went on. "I don't think, just by the way Mary reacted that it's the first time she's done it, either."

"It is not," Maurice rumbled low in his throat. "I know for a fact that she has been warned at least once about her behavior by her husband, Gray

"Well, the way she was acting, the warning obviously didn't stick," Karin stated matter-of-factly.

" _I_ will speak with her this time, _myself_!" Maurice rumbled. "Cedar can be a thorn in many an adult's side, but I will draw the line if she's picking on our children."

"Just cut out the middle man, uh, ape, and hand her over to Koba," Karin suggested sternly.

"It is a possibility," Maurice rumbled in agreement.

"Just give me a little warning so I can get the hell out of here when that happens," Karin said.

At that point, sparrow, Cornelia and Rocket's wife tinker entered the room. Spotting the bowl in Sparrow's hands, Maurice grinned aside at Karin.

"It is your turn," he quipped.

"What?" she asked, eying the Ape Queen and the other females warily.

Cornelia motioned to all the exposed parts of Karin's skin that sports small scratches and cuts from her nighttime forest trek.

"Oh, you don't have to," Karin began.

But Sparrow ignored her and perched on the edge of the nest.

Cornelia signed something, and Maurice chuckled.

"Cornelia wants to know if you'd like Sparrow to administer the salve, if you'd like her to do it or would you rather do it, yourself?"

"How about none of the above?" Karin offered.

Both Sparrow and Cornelia shook their heads in unison.

"did you know about this?" Karin glared at Maurice.

The old orangutan was barely controlling his own mirth.

I suspected," he admitted.

"Thanks for the warning," Karin muttered, still glaring at him.

"Cornelia, I really don't want to take up your supplies," Karin appealed to the Ape Queen.

Cornelia just shook her head firmly and signed.

"Cornelia says we have plenty, and it's easy to make," Maurice translated.

"They aren't that bad, really," the woman tried one more appeal to Sparrow.

Sparrow said nothing, only leaning forward holding out the bowl a bit more intensely.

"Oh alright, I give in … If you stop gloating!" Karin demanded to Maurice.

"Me! I never gloat," the orangutan protested.

Cornelia glanced at Maurice and gave a short hoot of disbelief, and Karin grinned at the Ape Queen in spite of herself.

"Don't worry, Cornelia, I'm not buying it either."

* * *

The woman abruptly removed her hand from Maurice's and stood up.

"Fine, but I'm going to do this without prying orangutan eyes, if you don't mind," she said primly, moving to the other side of the hut, with Sparrow following behind her, and Cornelia moving to block Maurice's view of the process.

"I just don't want him to see," Karin murmured to Tinker and Sparrow, motioning back over her shoulder where the worst of her ape attack scars were heavily concentrated, but hidden beneath her clothes

. "But you ladies already have seen some, I guess?"

Rocket's wife made motions as if pretending to be in pain, and guessing that she was sympathizing, Karin shrugged.

"They don't hurt so bad anymore, not all the time, mostly at night," Karin admitted quietly to the ape women. "But if one of you ladies could, maybe—"

Tinker nodded somberly, and she and Sparrow both crouched down with Karin. As she lifted her shirt, they moved to help her apply the paste to the very few scratches she had managed to get on her back. Both women had an incredibly gentle touch, and Karin only flinched once, and that was because she stretched too far, pulling one of the scars too tight.

* * *

The rest of the day proved to be rather uneventful. Karin was finally introduced to Percy and his wife, Phoebe, and Karin's presence may have served to temper Phoebe's scolding of Maurice, somewhat. The stately old orangutan lady was obviously far more interested in getting to know the human woman rather than scolding Maurice, much.

Before they left, the two older orangutans even offered Karin room in their house, stating that they had no children at home now and had plenty of extra room, should she want another place to stay while living with the apes.

The visitors kept coming in a steady stream right up until dinner time rolled around.

"I don't know what they are cooking out there, but it smells really good!" Karin sighed.

For the first time in months, if not longer, she thought she might even muster up a little of an appetite.

She had barely finished her statement when the first meal delivery arrived.

In came Mary, and she introduced Karin to three of her close friends, the two young boys Blue Eyes, Caesar's and Cornelia's son, and Ash, who belong to Rocket and Tinker, and a lovely young ape girl called Lake. And the boys came baring gifts of food. She grinned as she saw the two girls making the two boys do all the carrying, even the Prince, Blue eyes, was not spared and was pressed in to waiters service. She was even more surprised how little the boys seem to complain about it.

The amount of food they brought, however, was a little startling, though Karin did not let on in front of the children. She would have rather died than accidentally hurt any of their feelings.

"Uh … Meant for us both?" Karin asked Maurice after the children had departed, already suspecting his answer.

The old orangutan simply smiled and shook his head as he sat propped up with a large bowl of leaves and dried fruit in front of him.

Before Karin could think of a comment, in came Tinker and her husband, the nearly bald chimp called Rocket, who was being pressed in to waiters service by his wife, just like his two younger counterparts had been by the younger girls. They too, also brought a plate filled with food.

"Oh, Maurice," Karin said in some dismay when they had left. "There is no way I can eat all of that, not this evening!"

But it was not over. Next came Percy and Phoebe, Percy sporting a large jug of some sort of juice, and two large wooden cups.

Then came Luca, accompanied by two Kira's? Karin blinked and shook her head. No, Karin figured one of the older gorilla females must be the twin, Sonya, who Mary had told her about. The gorillas added several large pieces of meat to Karin's growing food stock.

As the gorillas left, Karin could see a definite pattern developing here.

"Maurice, when will they stop?" Karin asked, grateful and touched and alarmed.

And lastly came Cornelia, and with her, much to Karin's shock, with Caesar bearing a tray this time, the ape King carrying food trays? Cornelia looked around, clearly a little startled but very happy to see all the different food offerings.

Coming to Karin and Maurice's side, Cornelia screwed up her face for a moment then she spoke, "I see … no one … wants you to starve," she said out loud in her clear but halting speech as she smiled gently at Karin.

Tears of gratitude stood in Karin's eyes as she thanked the ape Queen. And Caesar almost dropped the tray his wife had him carrying. It was obvious he was not used to his wife speaking out loud.

Seeing Karin's slight dismay, Cornelia came and put a soft hand on her shoulder.

"Save some … for later," she whispered.

Karin opened her mouth to politely protest to Cornelia that this was really too much. But with a gentle smile, Cornelia left, not giving her the chance.

Caesar lagged behind his wife for a few seconds.

"Oh, Caesar!" Karin cried. "What am I going to do with all this? Mary and her friend Lake had your son and Rocket's boy brought the first plates," Karin told him, looking very worried now. "Then Tinker and Rocket came, and then Percy and Phoebe, then King Kong, uh, I mean Luca, he and his twin Aunts showed up, and now … Please, don't say anything to them, though. I don't want anyone's feelings getting hurt. You guys are … well, your marvelous!"

Caesar walked over and gave Karin a very sympathetic look. He would talk with Cornelia once Blue Eyes was asleep tonight and he knew his wife would try and have things better organized tomorrow. He was very pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming generosity of most of the apes. So, he knew that Cornelia must not have been expecting it, either.

"Don't worry, it will keep. You have breakfast tomorrow," the ape king advised.

"And lunch," Karin said tremulously. "thank you, Caesar. Please thank Cornelia and everyone else for me?"

Caesar nodded.

"And makes sure he eats," Caesar added aside concerning Maurice.

"Really, Caesar!" the old orangutan protested, but the ape king was gone before Maurice could vent his frustration.

* * *

The village was growing quiet, everyone beginning to settle in for the night. Maurice lay silently watching her as Karin stood looking out the door of the Healer's hut at the softly growing torches dotted around the village.

"Okay?" he asked her.

"I think I may have eaten a wee bit too much," Karin told him frankly. "But other than that, I'm fine, Maurice. It's just so … so pretty out there, those soft torches and everything."

"Not what you expected," the orangutan rumbled gently.

"Well, no, I guess not. I thought it might be darker," Karin confirmed his suspicions. "But, it's … it's …"

"Comforting?" Maurice ventured hopefully.

At least, this was how he always felt, but he did not expect her to feel the same. So, when she turned away from the door, drawing the animal skins taught across to keep out the air and looked at him in their dim torch light, soft shadows flickering over her features, he was surprised to see her smiling at him.

"That's it, comforting," she agreed, walking slowly back to the nest.

But to Maurice's dismay, she settled herself on the floor next to the nest, and not right next to him as she had been doing all day. He wanted to tell her it was perfectly fine with him if she wanted to sit with him. It would be perfectly fine if she wanted to even bed herself down next to him, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words, fearing that he would say exactly the wrong words, and she would take them the wrong way, go running off to sleep with Percy and Phoebe or maybe with Luca's twin Aunts, who also having no children at home had also made a sincere offer of house room. Then after the night's disaster, she would leave the next morning and never want to see or speak to him ever again! She had tried so hard to make him feel comfortable in her own home when he was there, and she had done it, but how was he supposed to ease her mind, and his, wile she stayed here?

He felt almost as helpless as he had done while lying under the tree just the night before.

But when she moved away and began to gather some pelts that were stacked in one corner and make herself a crude bed of them on the floor right next to the healing nest, he'd had enough. He could not just let her lie on the cold floor next to him like she was some sort of pet, no matter how many pelts she wrapped herself with.

Besides, from what he'd seen, humans had absolutely no nest building instincts at all. She would not be able to move well if he left her on the floor all night.

There were some other reasons as well, but he was not quite ready to deal with those just yet.

He made a low gentle rumbling sound, and when she turned to look at him, the old orangutan patted the nest next to him and held his breath, waiting. She stood looking at him for a long moment, clearly unsure as to what she should do.

They held each other's gaze for another few long heartbeats.

"You don't trust me?" he heard himself ask, sounding hurt, and not pretending this time.

It surprised him almost as much as it did her when he heard the words come out of his mouth.

"What?" she gasped, dropping her armload of pelts on the floor. 'Of course, I trust you Maurice!"

'You enjoy sleeping on hard floors then?" he asked.

She stared at him, then laughed gently and threw up her hands.

No, as a matter of fact, I don't particularly enjoy sleeping on a hard floor—"

She broke off and came to sit down beside him and took his hand in hers, easily slipping her small slender fingers through his much longer ones.

"Look, Maurice," she began gently. "I-I don't know how it is with apes, but most … many … well, some, adult human women don't just crawl in to another adult man's bed because someone ends up inevitably getting … ideas …"

"But I am not a man," he reminded her gently.

"I know, I know," she sighed. "No offense meant, Maurice."

He gently squeezed her hand.

"None taken. I just want you to be wherever you feel most comfortable," he told her quietly, all the while softly caressing the smooth back of her hand. It felt amazingly soft and supple to him, for skin with virtually no hair. "I would feel better if you would stay here with me, but if you'd rather go stay with, say, Luca's two Aunts, at least I will know that you are being kept warm and safe."

"Oh," Karin gulped. "Now why did you have to go and say all that for?"

"Because it is the truth," the orangutan replied, concerned by the tone in her voice that usually meant she was crying, or just about to cry.

"Yeah, I guess coming from you, it would be true, wouldn't it," she sniffed and swallowed hard, He heard the click in the back of her throat.

"And, as for those … ideas … you spoke of, don't you worry about that at all. I can always scream for help, can't I?" he could not help but tease her.

She gasped, stared at him for a long moment, then pulling her hand from his, bent down, retrieved a pelt from the floor and gently swatted him with it. He gave a playful tug on one end of the pelt, while she held on to the other, and soon they were both laughing as they had a mock tug of war over the animal skin.

Until a low angry rumbling came from the doorway, which brought them both up short.

"Children!" Kira signed snappishly as she strode in to the room and came to a halt beside the nest. Maurice did not know how Karin felt, but he felt like a scolded child as the old gorilla female glared down at them both, her nostrils flaring in irritation.

"You are both getting rather loud, and some of us need our sleep. So, either go to bed, both of you, or at least have some consideration for others, who have left their own beds to stay nearby to help you and shut up!"

Sheepishly, Maurice repeated Kira's demands to Karin, who also looked as sheepish as he felt. She had already guessed why the female was there.

"It's all my fault, Kira … we're sorry," Karin apologized. "We'll be quiet from now on, I promise."

The old gorilla female made a sound that was halfway between a growl and a low raspy purr and signed something again.

"Kira says do not make her come back in here again tonight or she shall separate us," Maurice informed Karin.

"Yes, Ma'am," Karin nodded contritely.

Still grumbling under her breath, Kira left the room, closing the animal skins behind her.

"The only thing I do not like about his place, Maurice, is—"

"The lack of proper doors and no locks?" Maurice finished her thought for her. "I expected you to say that. And as soon as I am able, I will see what I can devise at my own home, at least.""

Karin beamed at him. Then, she giggled, and Maurice rumbled with laughter, both making an effort to stay as quiet as possible.

"does she mean it, you think?" Karin whispered.

"Oh, I know she does," he replied.

"I'm not going to ask just how you know that," Karin responded.

"Good, my dignity will remain intact," Maurice stated with a straight face.

They both laughed again, and soon Karin was lying next to him in the nest, curled against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. As her breathing got quieter and deeper and slower, the orangutan gently folded one arm around her, and nestled his cheek against her now soft and untangled hair. Those ideas she'd talked about flitted very briefly through Maurice's mind, but he hastily pushed them aside, knowing full well that she had meant that as a plea and/or

Perhaps A warning to him. She did not need to bother. He knew there was no way that _she_ could be having, _ideas_ about him, for as he had told her, he was not a man. But for one very brief second as he drifted towards sleep, Maurice almost wished that he were a man … almost.

He closed his eyes and they both were sound asleep, each comforted by the other's presence.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_**

Well, I hope this is a better ending than the slightly dark slightly somber one from the last chapter.

Full marks to any and all of you who know who the orangutan Percy is, bet most of you know by now, right? 😀

One thing I want to try and do with this and with all my stories is give more life and depth to characters that did not get such treatment by the films. Don't get me wrong! I _absolutely_ adore all the movies, but they can't cover everything or everyone.

Many thanks to all my wonderful readers, and many big huge hugs and welcome aboard to all my new ones. And there is that special warm place deep in my heart for everyone who reviews, PMs, gives Kudos, comments, and/or other interactions. 😊 Keep it up, folks.


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